Your Smile In Spring
by jianbird
Summary: "You promise?" she whispered. Her other problems would be left unvoiced and to fester inside her heart until it became too heavy for her to shoulder alone. Whatever fears Zero Two was having inside her heart right now, he would be there to immediately ease them away. That's what he swore to do. "I promise." (AO3/FF)
1. Rebirth

Hello! If you recognize this story, then yes it's me from AO3. Since I'm unable to use the same tags as I can on AO3, this is a chronic illness AU. I've decided I'll publish my story on both platforms to give it some attention after some encouragement. For those who are new to my story, I hope you enjoy the plot and the AU I've constructed. Please leave any feedback. If you want to view my story on AO3, or any other ones, my username is the same as this one (jianbird). Thank you for clicking and I hope you enjoy your read! (I know the centered dates are a little awkward on web, but don't let that bother you. They look perfect on mobile.)

This story isn't a tragedy. I'm striving for a balance between romance and hurt/comfort. The first chapter is a little slow paced, but it's important to Zero Two's past. Don't worry, it'll pick up by chapter two.

I intend to return to earlier chapters to revise them up. My writing, in the beginning, was a little choppy, so I plan to clean it up once this series has reached its end. I believe nothing is too difficult to read, but I agree it could be better. I've cleaned this chapter up, by the way!

 **TW** : Mentions of suicide and abuse in great detail in the first half of the chapter until the first timeskip.

 **EDIT:** Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this story so far. Your constant feedback means a lot. I've planned a lot for this story and I invest a lot of time into it, so I hope you guys enjoy 'Your Smile In Spring' as much as I enjoy writing it! Updates between chapters are slow – I usually update with one chapter a month because of the length and time I take to plan everything out and make everything as quality as I can.

* * *

 **December 20, 2020**

 **3:28 PM**

The frosty breaths of winter tickled her pale knees and kissed their icy lips against them. It caused her body to let out a small shudder as she held her red backpack closer to herself. When she breathed, it was visible to her naked eyes as a small, but dissipating fog of air formed in front of her. Winter always filled her with the most loneliness although she's unsure of why this was the case.

But, loneliness is an emotion she learned to endure more with every passing day and night. The young schoolgirl trailed down the snowy sidewalk which was her usual path home. She wouldn't return to elementary school until her three weeks of winter break was over with. Although, the young girl didn't believe she was missing anything either.

Her footsteps left prints into the white, thick layers of snow beneath her soles. They marked her presence and would allow others who walked behind her to know she existed.

To reach home, the student always had to cross a vivacious park and a tempting bakery that ran at almost every hour. The latter always had the smell of fresh bread, and other baked goods, oozing out from its open door. It would often let out a chime because of the bell tied to a beautiful and neat, dark red bow for the winter holiday.

It felt as if the bakery owners were taunting her most of the time since they knew how to make her stomach growl. The desperation always started whenever the sweet aroma reached her nostrils first. She swore she'll get her father to take her one day and then, she'll order the biggest cake they served.

One day for sure.

Her footsteps ceased when nearby laughter caught the attention of her red ears. It came in a feminine chorus, in fact, which told her she was not only listening to one person but a small group of people. When the child turned her head, she saw four beautiful girls enter the same bakery her mouth watered for. They were tall, dressed in uniforms, and appeared to be much older than her, so she assumed they were all in high school.

But her hunger subsided once she realized the aura those girls carried. It was the same carefree and happy aura she found in a lot of other normal people and it made her feel sick to her stomach. Suddenly, she didn't feel like eating baked goods anymore.

The child looked away from what she couldn't have with contempt and continued down the snowy path. When a cold breeze chilled her arms, she held the straps of her bright red backpack closer to her sides.

The girl pretended she wasn't the only person under-dressed for the frigid season. No, it was more of the fact she no longer cared. She donned a skirt that hardly reached her knees, leaving the rest of her pale, bare skin exposed. It would have been likewise for her arms if she hadn't worn her uniform blouse as a jacket. At the least, she also had a thick, bright red scarf wrapped around her neck loosely.

It wasn't only to keep her warm though. The scarf acted as a comfort device more than anything else. She's gotten so used to the low temperatures that her body has become desensitized to it by now.

Once she made it to the suburban area of the city, she neared her own neighborhood. That's when golden, glistening fairy lights from neighboring houses enraptured her immediately. Her eyes followed their soft radiance and beautiful glow. They lit up shrubs, bushes, and the structural homes they draped across. Other lights even flashed with assorted colors in a timed pattern.

Her other neighbors even spruced up their front yard with store-bought decorations. Meanwhile, other houses took it down a notch by hanging a wreath up on their front door for simplicity. At some point, she even passed by a poorly built snowman that still looked perfect in her eyes. Her father would never want to build one with her even if she asked.

Every house looked so warm and full of life. They told a story without her having to know anything about the strangers who lived behind each door. Sometimes she wished those doors would invite her inside too.

That's when an abrupt craving for something she's never eaten before hit the child's taste buds. She wanted to know what fruitcake taste like. Everyone in her class indulged in it every Christmas but her. She didn't even know what cake tasted like. Was it soft and fluffy, or did it melt in your mouth?

How she wished her mother was here with them, so she could experience Christmas like normal families. The little girl knew if her mother were to walk through their door one day, her father would finally stop crying. He described her mother as the warm sun after a dark and rainy storm. She sounded nothing like the mistake she was. Because her father didn't set up portraits around their place, she's only seen one photo of her mother in her entire life.

Their resemblance was uncanny. In the photo, her mother had the same emerald eyes as she and beautiful, pink hair that stopped down to her lower back. The young girl figured her similarity to her mother is what made her father angry with her all the time.

She only found out the truth behind her mother's passing during one of her father's fits. He had them almost every day, so she's learned how to understand his slurred speech. A doctor diagnosed her mother with a type of leukemia. Around that time, her mother also learned she was pregnant with her. When advised to terminate her pregnancy for proper treatment, it's obvious which her mother chose.

She only existed in this world because of her own mother's selflessness.

The only thing that connected the girl with her mother was the thick, red scarf around her neck. Her belongings weren't in their new home, but she found one thing her father forgot to discard. She liked to imagine the scarf's warmth mimicked her mother's own, but she'd prefer the real thing any day.

The girl had so many more questions about her mother, but no one to confide in. The other members of her family never came around, so it's always been her father and herself. He never liked to talk about her mother either. Whenever the child pried in the past, he always reacted angrily. This forced her to stop asking questions altogether, but that didn't mean she stopped having them.

He told her regularly she was the reason he was in pain all the time. He consistently reminded her she was the reason his wife was dead, and it has shaped her to believe him. She's the monster that took away such a precious and valuable life. If possible, one day she wanted to help ease her father's pain and make up for all she's done.

She had no place in this world.

Her father still didn't accept her, and she understood it was because she's a bad person. Because of her fear of hurting others, she's never experienced what it's like to have friends. Her classmates were afraid of her. She refused to socialize with anyone and if they did, the words she used with them were often too harsh. It hurt how no one wanted to get involved with her, but these things were meant to happen.

Later, the young girl's frustration with herself turned her into the monster everyone saw her as. She didn't obey reasonable orders from her teachers. She yelled back and became physical with her classmates who talked badly about her. Her teachers eventually left her alone entirely since she behaved better undisturbed. No one wanted to bother with someone as troublesome as her.

Eventually, she made it to the small apartment she and her father lived in. Her father never greeted her with a loving smile or genuine questions about her day. Therefore, she thought nothing was unsettling about this afternoon. Once inside, she planned to greet him herself and receive his small, irritated grunt. It was a tasteless response, but the bit of communication still satisfied her.

He usually never spoke to her or approached her unless he was angry. If it was one of his worse days, she saw his fists. It always left her with pain, but she believed she deserved this.

She walked inside with her shoes on, leaving a trail of snow particles across the dirty carpet. Her home had no house rules, so this was okay of her to do. The elementary-schooler slipped off her backpack with her father already on her mind. Even if he never checked in on her, she always wanted to see him.

The television was on and turned to a random channel she knew her father didn't watch, so she thought that was odd. The volume was also lower than usual although no one sat in the empty, brown and worn out chair across from it. Her father was always in that spot, mesmerized in something she could never find the appeal in. In his right hand, he usually held his cold bottle of beer.

But today, there was no one in the living room for her to greet.

She was curious as any child would be at this point. The girl checked the kitchen for her father, but there were only the lights that often flickered in and out. The bathroom and laundry room followed to no avail until she was in front of his bedroom door.

It was open by a few centimeters, so she assumed her father had to be inside. He was most likely in the middle of his usual deep nap. He took those a lot and only woke up for dinner, or another cold drink.

Without a second thought, she pushed her tiny hands against his bedroom door. A familiar, loud and eerie creak filled the small apartment as she did so.

"I'm home, Papa-"

But nothing prepared the child's innocent eyes for the sight right before her. In the middle of the room was her father's body hanging from the ceiling. A leather belt tied to the ceiling fan held his lifeless body by its neck.

His daughter let out a shrill cry.

* * *

 **December 24, 2020**

 **4:02 PM**

She was ten years old when she lost the only person she had in this world.

It took days to part with the place she once considered her home. She never had such a place, to begin with, and this traumatizing event reinforced that. She's always been an unwanted thing in this world.

With no place to turn to now, the young girl found no need to continue school. So, she never returned from winter break. She only sought food when the emptiness in her stomach made it difficult to walk. She slugged around her thin body in her dirtied, tattered clothes. While she was in the woods, the thorns from shrubs nicked more than her pale skin.

Albeit the physical scars could never amount to ones created inside her heart.

The clouds above her turned a dark, greyish color and started its gentle melody, but she didn't immediately seek shelter. The pitter-patter of the rain was the softest tune she's ever heard in her life. For whatever reason, its serenity calmed her.

She loved the gentle waves of the rain. It not only kissed the Earth's surface but also the dry skin on her face and every exposed part of her small body. It was as if the Earth knew of her troubles and tried to soothe them all if only for a moment. The girl closed her eyes, relishing in the way the rain painted her as if she were its personal canvas. Or a tiny, insignificant speck.

She had no qualms about walking around in the rain, enjoying the feeling of the Earth's affection that much. It was the young girl's only way of feeling free from her burdens. But then, there was a loud, but distinct rumble from above that her cut joy short. It seemed she wouldn't be able to bask in the sky's love much longer.

Finding a nearby unoccupied park, she carried her thin body over to it and found a tunnel to sit inside. As soon as the girl situated herself, she curled up into a ball. Her knees pressed against her chest and her arms enveloped her legs. This was to offer herself some warmth until this storm carried itself out.

Unlike other children, she was never afraid of the loud and thunderous cries from the sky. However, the child was still smart enough to not walk around freely when a rainstorm was on the brink of thunder.

As she rested her chin against the dip between her knees, she also listened to the surrounding sounds. She thought of how the sky's screams mimicked the ones she wanted to yell out herself. If the sky and she were to engage in a yelling match, who would be louder?

A corner away from her on the opposite street, an overtaxed man returned from yet another wearying day at work. You could assume this man was in his mid-fifties for the wrinkles boring deeply into his skin. There were also the signs of late nights underneath his brown eyes.

He displayed a short, deep brown head of hair coupled with a few strands of grey hair. They broke out at various areas of his head because of his age catching up to him. The expression he carried on his face showed he was a man of business despite his fatigue look. He wore black, formal pants and a white lab coat with a small oil stain above his left pocket.

A yawn that's been itching for release pushed its way up his throat. Every day, this man worked as a scientist until his back ached. His assistant always tried to pull him away from his projects, but the man followed his own rules. His company recently felt deserted since most of his employees were on Christmas. A large holiday that quickly showed its face before he even knew it. The best way the man could think to spend the evening before Christmas was by visiting an old friend.

Yet...

"Sheesh. If I'd known it would be this bad out, I would've told them to pick me up out front," he grumbled, holding his black umbrella up over his head.

Checking the time on his wristwatch, he learned he still had two hours to make it to his destination. He doubted his friend had much to do today but showing up at his doorstep unplanned was burdensome on its own. Nonetheless, showing up at his doorstep at a late hour.

It would also be best to get this out of the way before the roads iced up overnight. That aside, he still had other things he wished to do with his day. Such as the work that needed his undivided attention.

As he turned the corner, the man noticed there weren't that many people outside today. It was probable no one wanted to be out on a rainy day, but it was more likely everyone still had their noses in their work. Jobs were even busier during the holiday. He could tell how humid it smelled this dark evening from breathing in the thick and damp air. It didn't bother him though.

There were more important things to think about than the weather.

He continued to walk down the familiar path which would lead to the intersection he agreed to meet his driver. He was already conjuring ideas to add to his current project in his head. The man could hardly wait to sit down in his office the first chance he received. The only reason he wasn't in the vehicle right now was that he needed to give his bones a chance to stretch out from time to time.

He often got cramped up after a long, tiring day and he was afraid it'll come between him and his work one day.

The man crossed the road opposite from the soulless park to his right. There wasn't a single soul accompanying the popular area from the quick glance he spared it. What parent wanted to bring their children to the park during a rainstorm like this, anyway? His mind returned to its deep thoughts and mentally ran through his schedule for today.

Then, a glimpse of a fast, moving blur from his peripheral made his footsteps take a sudden pause. The small puddle of water underneath the soles of his black and polished work shoes rippled. Was his vision finally betraying him? He squinted in the blur's direction hoping his eyes weren't cloudy.

But it was most likely a small animal or a figment of his imagination since there appeared to be no one at the park.

It couldn't be a child, or else the happy exclaims from a little voice and eruptive giggles would reach his ears. Yet as he was about to look away and continue with his day, he caught something that proved his eyes weren't that old. Even without a trace of sound, he could tell someone was over there. With his interest now piqued, the man took an unplanned turn and headed towards the moving human.

A couple of more steps closer confirmed the small appearing human was a child. The child sat alone inside the playground's tunnel which he assumed was to act as a shelter. A child shouldn't be out here in this kind of weather when it was hardly even safe for himself.

He tried to close the distance between him and the child to get a clear view of her face. However, the man noticed every step he took, the other took a careful slide back. They were recoiling from him.

 _Ah, am I scaring her?_

Well, he didn't need to get any closer to tell the child was a young girl. Her long, loose pink hair cascaded down her sides and ended a few inches past her bum. The absence of the light hitting the inside the tunnel still kept her face hidden.

"I won't hurt you," The man reassured her, as he held up the hand not wrapped around the handle of his umbrella.

He wasn't too confident his effort to win her trust would be successful. He's never had a personal encounter with a child until now. That meant he was even unsure of how to talk to one. Other people's children weren't his expertise.

He took another cautious step forward while his eyes trained themselves on her. He half-feared she'd jump up and bolt the second he got too close and that'd be a headache for him. But as he expected, the girl scooted back even deeper into the tunnel. He wouldn't be able to reach her without crouching down and putting his arm inside. Even for someone inexperienced with children, he could tell how awful an idea that was.

Despite the difficulty of this situation, it wouldn't be enough to make him waver. Now that he's spotted her, he couldn't leave her behind. Hopefully, she could talk.

"A kid shouldn't be alone in this weather. Where're your parents?" He continued to make conversation with the child.

His feet guided him to the entrance of the tunnel which he laid his free hand atop of. His other continued to hold the parasol over his head, catching every hard droplet of rain.

Did this girl come to play at the park by herself, or was she waiting for her either of her parents to pick her up? If the latter turned out to be true, he'd feel easier about leaving the child to her business. She was smart for keeping dry by staying inside the tunnel.

He leaned down now to peek at this child's face. She didn't make it easy for him since she was desperate to hide from him. One slow and close observation was enough to alarm him that this wasn't an ordinary child. While she was a stunning young girl for sure, her appearance made her seem as if she belonged to no one at all.

She had mangled hair which looked as if she hasn't brushed it in several weeks. Its color had a dirty brown tint to it which could surely look a lot more lovely and iridescent if washed. There were other factors that caught the man's attention too.

Untreated cuts, scrapes, and bruises were all over her legs and arms. While some were old, others he could tell were still fresh. Her emaciated cheeks weren't spared either. The paleness of her face made her appear malnourished from what he could see. Her skin was peeling off her knuckles too.

This wasn't normal.

Swallowing his disbelief, for now, the man continued to inspect what he could in silence. The girl's clothes looked unwashed considering the various stains on them. It was accumulated dirt if anything. She wore a scarf around her neck, but its dull redness told him the color was once livelier. The man could also smell the child from here and concluded she hasn't had a proper bath in too long of a time.

The little girl smelled as if she's been living outside for her entire life. That shouldn't be the case since she's merely a child. It was a parent's responsibility to look after their offspring, so, where were they?

He wanted to believe someone would beckon her over at any moment and she'd happily run into their awaiting arms. Yet all the physical signs pointed towards abandonment. Has she been struggling all alone for all this time? He was afraid to stomach _how_ long.

An exasperated sigh left his lips.

In his head, he debated over whether he had time for this lost, vulnerable-looking child? The man glanced at his wristwatch again and then checked his surroundings. However, he didn't realize he needed to keep his defenses up to check the time. He doubted someone who looked so frail could act harmful towards another person. Not until he barely dodged a small rock that came sweeping past his head.

 _What?_

The rock landed somewhere in the wet gravel behind them. While it was small, it would've given him an injury had it not missed its target. He felt surprised by her clumsy act of defense. She hadn't said a single word to him yet, but that's the first thing she does?

His attention returned to the child to observe her better this time, but that's when he saw the enmity on her face. Her narrowed, emerald eyes churned with fire and animosity he never imagined a child could hold.

 _...No._

With a closer look, the man realized this wasn't pure hatred at all, but a mask for her ugly fear. He's seen this emotion in tons of others before considering how many people he's met in his long life. She was doing everything to get away from him despite her fears undoubtedly gripping her. How was she still fighting?

You taught children the dangers behind strangers, but this defense mechanism wasn't from lessons about safety. What could she have gone through to resort to violence instinctively? From an onlooker's point of view, she could be nothing but a bratty kid. However, ignorant people don't understand human behavior as he does. He's spent years studying it closely.

At the moment, helping her understand his intentions was his priority. He wanted to reach out to her within the goodness of his heart, but he also felt curiosity over how she ended up like this.

Another rock came flying at him, but this time he failed to avoid the threat. This resulted in it thumping him in the middle of his forehead. A heavy and throbbing sensation reminded him this little one wouldn't be an easy one to get through to.

She didn't intend to give him any mercy, so he had no choice but to use his umbrella to block the rest of her assault. Much to his own relief, the supply of the rocks piled up at her side eventually decreased. The girl only realized this once her fingers grasped onto air rather than another rock.

For a moment, he'll be able to breathe. To have already accumulated rocks at her side, she came prepared for this. Judging by her actions, she didn't trust others easily. Now that she no longer had any rocks, he hoped she wouldn't flee the scene. Otherwise, there weren't any promises he'd be able to keep up with someone of her youth and smallness.

The man felt grateful seeing her stay put though. The girl looked down at her hip before her shoulders slumped in defeat. With some hesitation, she finally spoke up for the first time since he approached her.

"...I have none," the girl mumbled.

His eyes widened when he realized the child was finally answering the first question he asked her. So, she was a lost and wandering orphan?

"I see."

He didn't press the child for more information. Instead, his lips formed a thin line as the cogs in his brain turned. He was trying to think of the best way to approach this subject lightly. The man's been in many stressful situations before but none like this.

As he pondered over this, the child's harsh eyes softened into a deep recognition of sorrow. He could see many things in those beryl eyes of hers. Hopelessness, deep pain, but more than anything, loneliness.

Another adult could've ignored this disheveled child as soon as they found out how rude she was. Yet something inside his heart longed to do something for her. This time it was for a reason larger than his genuine curiosity in her. A sympathetic sigh dragged its way out from his mouth.

There was an internal conflict at first, but he finally came to his resolve. Although, he didn't know if this would be his most rational or irrational decision ever.

* * *

 **December 24, 2020**

 **5:47 PM**

"Welcome home, Professor Werner," greeted his two female housemaids in unison with a half-bow.

The two women were in their early forties and have been by Werner's side for at least ten years and counting. Faint teal and chestnut brown eyes shifted to the tense and disarrayed young girl by his side. He understood their confusion without them uttering a word.

Meanwhile, his guest's eyes were jumping everywhere in the room. Her feeble fingers snugged her scarf closer around her neck before she buried her face into it. It was plain to see she wasn't adjusting to the unfamiliar setting too well. She looked so frantic as if she expected someone to hurt her at any moment. Werner was afraid she'll consider turning back around at the last minute.

It was a miracle he got her to come with him at all. It didn't take much because humorously, the only 'trick' he needed to pull was to promise to feed her. Unfortunately, he didn't come to that conclusion right away. She surely didn't make it easy for an old geezer like him either.

Somehow, the problem child got away from him and climbed up into a tree. Then, she refused to come down despite his worried concerns over her injuring herself. The way she sat atop the thickset tree branch and swung her short, blotched legs back and forth nearly gave the professor a heart attack. The girl seemed accustomed to doing wild things such as that.

He was only happy she didn't fall down, or else he'd have a larger problem in his hands. If he'd known food would make her put aside her distrust so fast, it would've been the first thing he brought up. With a child this malnourished, he couldn't imagine how long she's had to walk around on an empty stomach. He'll get to his promise immediately then.

He skipped introductions since he believed he owed no one an explanation. All he needed from them was to look after her; not understand why she was here.

"Get her washed up if you could. I believe no one has taken care of her in several days," He told his housemaid named Mayuki.

She was several years younger than he was, with beautiful, deep brown hair tied up neatly into a bun. She's the one who owned the capturing set of faint, teal blue eyes.

For her attire, she wore a light grey dress that stopped two inches below her knees. A white apron tied around her waist accompanied the dress with white cuffs on her short sleeves. The woman beside her, named Sawako, also wore a uniform identical to hers. Their postures even matched one another with their folded hands against their laps.

"Right away, sir."

They bowed once more and waited for the child to join them, but she didn't. The girl still felt wary of these strangers since didn't know their true intentions. Even as the corners of Mayuki's and Sawako's lips lifted upward and radiated a warm and kind glow, she didn't budge. Not until a gentle push on the back made her take those two reluctant steps toward the two women.

Feeling irked by this action, the child glanced over her shoulder and shot her perpetrator an icy glare. The old man remained unfazed by the younger's attempt to intimidate him though. It would take a lot more than that to get a real scare out him. Although, she pulled one over him earlier with her reckless stunt.

"Come on," Sawako whispered to the child, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. The child flinched in response to Sawako's physical contact, but that could be out of instinct.

His housemaids left in tow with the child and he watched their backs as they walked down the hall. He watched them long enough to see the child take a small step to the side as if trying to evade Sawako's touch. Werner looked away from the three once his eyes couldn't perceive them anymore.

With a tired grunt, he relaxed for the first time this evening. He must meet up with his friend some other day, but Werner believed the inconvenience was worth it. Somehow a non-business trip to see an old face ended up with him having a roughed-up child in his care.

How odd but fascinating this world could be sometimes.

Werner made a turn for his large living room and slowly took a seat down on his couch. This offered his sore back immediate relief. He ignored his tall, slender butler who followed him here, waiting for an order from his master. Werner felt so used to their lingering presence he felt no unease with them around. Although, he knew Itsuo wouldn't rest until an order spewed from his mouth.

Werner had no personal needs or business matters he wished to take care of yet. Usually, he worked in his laboratory until his sleepiness interfered with his progress. But the unruly child he met today was filling his thoughts instead. It was rare of him to have something he prioritized more than his beloved research.

"Have two large plates of last night's dinner prepared at the table," he ordered Itsuo who stood at the side of his couch complaisantly.

"And some green tea for me," Werner added. The thought of the liquid warming his taste buds as he unwound sounded pleasant. It might also numb the soreness in his wrists and lower back.

Itsuo responded with a nod before he went to heed his master's request. Werner closed his eyelids and rested the back of his head against the lenity of the cushion. He listened as his butler's shoes made descending clicks in the background. Whenever he became this exhausted, he recalled how convenient it was to have other people work for him.

He also had this benefit back at work with his younger assistant, Nana, who was a nice, respectable woman in her mid-twenties. She was excellent at her job despite her age and minuscule experience. Although, the woman took her job too seriously; he believed.

It was useful to have someone there to keep him on schedule. This meant meetings and other events that required his presence. That was the downside to being an important public figure. He worked as a scientific engineer and constructed bullet trains worldwide.

His work did not start there though.

At one time, he only constructed military vehicles as tools of war for his country. He composited the armor plates with nanoparticles which were different back then. It was fortunate he had what Japan needed, or else he might have not seen such a high demand for his works. Yet as the war died down, so did the initial purpose behind FranXX Corporation.

Now he focused on his man-made transportation which ran on hydrogen fuel cells. Engineering was something he took joy in, but there was only one downside to his success. Whenever people requested his presence at events, it upset him since it took him away from his work. But he kept a respectable image for himself by showing up regardless of his feelings.

"Your tea, sir," Werner heard from beside him, causing the man to open his lids. Although, his butler's footsteps already alerted Werner of his return.

"Thank you, Itsuo," he replied, accepting the small silver plate supporting the small and dainty China teacup.

His fingers gripped the handle and took it from the other's hands. Then, Werner allowed its remedying flavor to flow past his lips and greet his taste buds. He could feel the warmth that steamed from the liquid, untying every coil in his body. The first sip threw the man into a momentary bliss.

"Ah..."

Yes, he has been in need of that. It was always nice to have a cup of freshly brewed tea as soon as he came home. Unfortunately, a distant yell that tore through the walls disrupted Werner's peace.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, but otherwise, he did not make a huge reaction towards the sudden dismay. Instead, he shared a quiet look with Itsuo whose blood had drained from his face. However, he also understood what he had to do, so he regained his composure quickly.

"Go check it out. I'll join you soon," Werner instructed the other.

"Right away, sir," Itsuo replied with a fleeting bow before ambulating quickly towards the scene that awaited him.

A regretful sigh left the scientist's mouth. He was already feeling dread over what kind of situation could have arisen now. It couldn't be anything dire since he owned a fair amount of security around his manor. This meant the problem could only be with the ill-mannered girl he brought in today. He felt reluctant to even stand up from the couch since he had already gotten comfortable. As always, something always needed his presence even in the comfort of his own home.

His feet wended its way down his hall and turned the corner leading to the master bathroom. He could hear a muffled commotion from behind the door, but Werner should have taken that as a sign to not enter. Nothing prepared him for the chaotic sight once he did. In front of him stood the dirty child and his three servants, in the most extraordinary situation ever.

It didn't take him long to assess the scene before him. He now understood the nature behind Sawako's yelp. The unnamed, insubordinate girl was sinking her teeth into the poor woman's arm. Meanwhile, Itsuo's hands were at the child's sides, trying to pry her off Sawako. However, the girl was stubborn and kept a firm hold. Mayuki only stood there with her jaw slacked open in shock. After all, the woman was witnessing the assault unfold right before her eyes.

Werner didn't know what led up to this unsightly position, but he wouldn't ask right now. Instead, he closed his lids and made a silent apology towards his three servants for the trouble. He reopened his eyes to the sound of more struggling. Itsuo pulled the ferocious child away from Sawako and tried to hold her back with his arms.

The girl didn't seem intent on doing that despite her threatening glare and heavy breathing. Werner thought she looked rather pitiful with her dirtied feet and hands instead.

With a glance to the side, Werner made sure Sawako wasn't bleeding. Fortunately, she wasn't, but a visible bite mark indentured her pale skin. He couldn't tell how deep the bite was yet, but it didn't look like much from where he stood. As long as her teeth hadn't broken into her skin, there was nothing to fret over. Further examination would later tell him if it was serious or not.

It was good she wasn't bleeding since Werner didn't get his hands on the child's medical records yet. He didn't know if she carried any serious diseases, so this reminded him to have her examined by a doctor later.

"Sawako, have that bite looked at," Werner advised her calmly.

He suspected Sawako would only need disinfectant and a bandage wrap before all was well again. But Sawako's adamant personality may not allow her to follow his suggestion.

"But–"

The injured woman protested like Werner suspected she would. She was still acting as if she had a handle over the situation, but he wouldn't go for that.

"I'll handle it from here," he reassured her.

He understood Sawako didn't want to burden him with the tasks he assigned to her. What was he himself if he couldn't handle his own matters though? He was foolish for believing the girl would be obedient enough to listen to people she met a few minutes ago. He should've expected her hostility.

Sawako sauntered past him while holding her injured arm off to the side. Once her footsteps were distant enough, Werner's eyes laid on the center of the whole disarray. As she fumed at each of them, her fingers gripped the sleeve of her worn out shirt and pushed it back over her shoulder. It must've slipped off while she was resisting Mayuki and Sawako. Or, them attempting to strip her for her bath led to their wrestle.

That was the purpose of a wash though, no?

Yet the way the child's clung at her shirt as if someone would threaten to remove them again told another story. In her mind, she must take this as some form of attack against her. Has a caretaker never bathed her before? The possibility of that being true didn't sit well with him.

He could see how nudity left a sense of vulnerability on a person, however.

What a handful.

How was she to get clean if she refused help? Perhaps the girl would feel more comfortable washing herself? That should ensure avoiding any further conflict. Hopefully, she wouldn't drown herself in the tub by accident if he depended on her ability to wash up alone. She remembered how to bathe, right?

"Mayuki, Itsuo. Come. Let's leave the child to her bath," Werner told them, ignoring the hesitant stare the two adults shared since they complied.

Once he was the last one left in the room, he spoke to the young girl once more without turning his body around to her.

"We'll leave a spare set of clothes for you by the door. Retrieve them when you're finished," he said without thinking about how they had nothing to fit her size.

There definitely were no other children living among his manor. He hoped Mayuki or Sawako could pull out something from their wardrobe. Werner slowly shut the two old, russet-colored doors behind him as promised. A creak reverberated against the dark vanilla walls and filled the emptiness of the hall.

The man stood in his place for several quiet seconds instead of immediately leaving her to herself. He waited for something with his eyes shifted to the ground as if the house would tell him its long history. Once he heard the water gently shift around from the other side, Werner sought its next destination.


	2. A Chance Meeting

**December 24, 2020**

 **6:30 PM**

The rising steam from the hot and fresh stir-fried rice brought forth Werner's hunger. He's longed to have something in his stomach all day, but he didn't want to relish in his meal too soon. At least, not until he was certain the quiet girl sitting across from him would eat first. That wasn't a hassle he would face tonight though.

The moment Itsuo set down her dinner in front of her, her dull eyes enlarged like she's never seen a plate of food before. For the first time today, she looked like a normal and healthy child. Before Werner even picked up his own utensil, the child was already digging into her own dish with such haste.

He didn't expect this out of the stubborn little girl. Neatly positioned beside her bowl was a spoon and fork on a thick, white napkin. However, instead of eating with her utensils, the girl picked up her food with her fingers. It was as if she had no sense of etiquette at all.

She licked her dry, chapped lips and took a handful of the stir-fried rice. She clenched the oil around with her fingers, causing it to roll down her greasy hand like melted butter. Then, the girl stuffed her handful of food into her widely opened mouth. The child munched on the first several bites, then licked her fingers one by one to savor its taste.

Without even waiting to swallow down her food first, the girl went for another handful of the rice. Quickly, she stuffed it into her awaiting mouth which caused her cheeks to bloat up. The girl didn't even attempt to close her mouth as she munched away at her delicious meal.

Werner only chuckled at the scene unfolding in front of him. She was definitely as messy at the dinner table as she was with cleaning up after herself. When he checked on her after her bath, he found her clothed in the outfit Mayuki left out for her. It was one of her simple, light grey blouses. Even with her tall height, it still fit like a formal dress on her because of its size.

At the least, she should feel warmer, but it was a shame the sleeves were too short to cover her arms. He didn't say this because of the marks all over her skin, but because he imagined she was cold in only this. Her freshened appearance was the neatest part of the bathroom though.

Somehow the girl made many puddles of water all over the floor; some being large while others were small. She either walked around without drying herself first or splashed around in the tub. She didn't even try to dry her hair thus leaving a soaked stain on the back of her shirt. This resulted in him having to dry the girl's hair off for her with a large, but soft towel.

The troublesome child only turned away from his housemaids when he asked them to take care of this task for her. This led Werner to believe she trusted him a little more than she trusted the people who worked for him. He also had to instruct her to pick her discarded clothes up from the floor and show her the laundry bin to put them in. It's only been an hour, but she's already this much of a handful.

With a light shake of the head, Werner treated his empty stomach with the quality dish too. It was nice and edible as ever, but the other was enjoying it a lot more than he was. It was reasonable to think this since she hasn't had a decent meal in forever. Yet another possibility rang through his brain. Was it possible this was her first time having stir-fried rice?

Because he knew the meal down to its taste and aroma, Werner didn't have as much excitement over it anymore. It was nothing but food that needed to enter his body for it to function. Putting the dinner aside, Werner chalked up the first question he's wanted to ask her all day.

He had several, to be frank, but he knew better than to throw them all at the girl at once. He might confuse her and also risk his chance at understanding her better. For now, he'll start off small.

"What's your name, child?"

It was a little tiresome only identifying her by her gender and the age range he estimated her to be. Unfortunately, Werner would not yet find relief from that situation. The silence was thick in the air as the one in question paused mid-bite. It was already silent disregarding her noisy chewing, but this time, the silence had a different feel to it.

For a moment, all she did was stare at him. The girl looked like she was debating on whether to reveal this information to him. As the silence continued, Werner suspected she wouldn't come to answer him. That was exactly what she did too. Quickly, she returned to stuffing her face instead of answering his question.

Werner knew he was being ignored by her.

"Hmm? I brought you under my roof. Don't you think the least you can owe me is your name?" He said half-jokingly with a warm chuckle.

Werner felt it was his job to help the younger one open up to him like a dependable adult with wisdom. Luckily, he had enough patience in the world.

"Earlier you climbed up that tree pretty easily. Do you like to do those sorts of things?" he asked, not giving up on what someone else would deem a lost cause.

His question lingered in the air awkwardly since she didn't respond to this either. Although, she surprised him with a small gesture. The girl didn't use her words, but she shrugged her shoulders. This was a small sign she was finally trying to come out of her shell; she only needed help.

"I see. So, you must climb trees all the time," Werner concluded while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

The other's silence didn't discourage him, but she was giving him difficulty. It was like him running back on one of his calculations and trying to find where he messed up. But if anyone could crack a hard case, then it was him.

"How you've yet to hurt yourself is beyond me. I suppose young people really are active beings," He said aloud.

He supposed if he spoke more, she'll feel comfortable enough to say something in return? Small gestures were fine and readable, but audible words would benefit more. If she didn't learn how to communicate, then she'll have a tough time getting along with anybody.

"Did you know before I found you, I was on my way to see a friend?"

She didn't answer, but that was fine enough since she looked up from her plate at all. This showed Werner that it piqued her interest. Taking her body language as encouragement, he proceeded with his story.

"He's a reserved fellow who's terrible at controlling his temper. He gets frustrated over little things easily, but despite his anger, he always got his work done. If you look past all that, he's a man worth respecting," Werner explained with a nod, agreeing with his own words.

"Although, he lost something very important to him. His behavior has become more worrisome, and he's stopped showing up to work altogether."

Yet Werner never had the heart to dismiss him. He tried to keep the flame kindled, but as the year passed on, he realized he wouldn't ever come back. In fact, the reason he intended to visit him was to lay him off. He'd prefer to do it face-to-face rather than through a lousy e-mail or printed sheet.

He only thought to tell this story to the child because he imagined she could relate. Was her brain mature enough to even understand this though? It had to be since she's survived in this large world all by herself.

"Lately, he's been slipping further and further away from us. No, to be frank, it's been that way for years now. Ever since... that thing happened. It's hard to tell what he's thinking half of the time and that worries me. ...I'm sure that sounds familiar to you."

Werner passed on the opportunity for the other to state something if she felt comfortable enough to. Although this was a rather deep subject, so he understood if she wished to back out from it. He should think of something more fitting for a child, but Werner felt she carried a lot of wounds. He didn't mean the ones visible on her thin body either.

This child needed to heal from whatever hell she went through but only she could allow that to happen.

As expected, nothing more than silence followed. Albeit it wasn't because the other was reluctant to hold a conversation with him. The gears were actually turning in her head this time as she thought hard over his question. When another minute of silence passed, he realized he only led her into over-thinking. Afraid that he'll stress her out, Werner dismissed the subject altogether.

"Perhaps not. You're still young. Most children your age aren't as complicated as adults," he finished.

His wooden chair made a small noise as the man leaned back against it. It was a maroon color and the seats still had their plastic on, preserving them for as long as he wanted. Everything in the dining room followed a similar color pattern.

Werner noticed the sparkle in her eyes diminished. Maybe he shouldn't have forced her to remember something she didn't want to? This is exactly why he's awful with children. They were more fragile than adults but easy to distract if his perception of them was right.

"Would you like dessert?" Werner offered once he noticed the emptiness of her plate. Her appetite was astonishing.

He could see that one serving wouldn't be enough for a starving child now. Meanwhile, his own hardly touched dish already lost its steam. That was fine though since he was too interested in the other to feel hungry. Thankfully, her eyes lit up once more upon his impassable offer and followed a hasty nod.

Then, he passed down an order to the chef to prepare a large slice of cake for the child. Werner had a feeling a small piece wouldn't satisfy her stomach. He didn't prefer to indulge in sweets because the taste was overbearing to him. So, the girl was lucky to run into him when he recently received a cake for his latest design. He often received presents at his opening ceremonies, but he only accepted them for show. Once he returned home, there was no true need for them.

He's been keeping it refrigerated this whole time, but he forgot to go back and toss it out. The little girl would be the first one to try out the cake. Since it came straight from the bakery, the flavor should be even more enriching.

Soon enough, Itsuo presented the velvety, chocolate cake to her. Just like with the stir-fried rice, she held no mercy toward the dessert in front of her. What an eater she was.

"It must be good. You know, my same friend has a daughter who should be around your age now. I've only seen her once. That was, let's see... Around the time she was a newborn. I'm sure you two can meet and become good friends one day."

There was always a chance for that wishful thinking since she had a long future ahead of her. She's too young to give up on her life. She'll find a new home and create new memories to help her forget the harsh realities about the real world.

It was plain to see he wouldn't be the person to crack open her shell though. Werner trusted she would find someone that important to her one day though. The other's chewing eventually grew quieter. From the fidgety look in her eyes, it wasn't out of self-consciousness. She swallowed all her food down and parted her lips shakily.

"What... is his name?" she asked, feeling too hesitant to even look up at him.

Werner could tell she was afraid from her trembling hands and shoulders. For once, he didn't have an immediate explanation for why that was so.

"His name is-"

Her chest tightened up into a knot and a queasy feeling rushed through her feeble body like a harsh wave. Her breaths became shallow and her dainty fingers latched onto the edge of the table. Although, it did nothing to lighten the heaviness she felt in her ribs. It only took a second for the world around her to disparate. There was only one thing she could recollect before her mind became fuzzy.

That was her father's name.

* * *

 **January 11, 2028**

 **5:01 PM**

It was winter in Mistilteinn.

To be exact, it was between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. A warmer season where naked tree branches would soon be in full bloom.

She looked forward to that day because she loved the seasonal changes. It almost made the world around her seem beautiful on the surface, but she hated winter with a passion. Spring and summer made her feel warm, but the cold always reminded her of her unfilled emptiness.

She detested it.

The last bell for the day rung throughout the mass field. From her advantage, she could see the many bodies scurry out of the building and move onto the sidewalks. The eighteen-year-old knew half of those groups would stop somewhere before returning home. The school didn't permit it but sticking to the manual wasn't her style.

She didn't care for rules at all.

The world around her became dark as she closed her eyelids and for a moment, time stopped. The girl allowed the wind to move her. The cold breeze chilled her skin and played her outstretched arms and legs like a piano. The wind tousled her hair and forced it to dance in the air. She didn't mind the feeling for she loved it.

It roused her with the awareness she was alive. Even if it was painful to be so, the thought of freedom only being an arm's length away excited her. It tempted her.

She was only a hair's breadth away from breaking free from the flimsy chains holding her back. It would only take one move for her to escape her birdcage and slip into the Earth's cracks.

Her pale grey uniform jacket and plaid, light and dark grey skirt took flight as it flapped and swayed in the air. Her tie followed the same pattern, but with strips of a dull grey and red. The plain, crimson red scarf wrapped around her neck refused to miss out of the fleeting experience.

For as long as the girl could remember, she's always worn this scarf. It was less of a fashion accessory and more of a prized possession. It was one of the few things that comforted her even though she couldn't explain why.

Her lids reopened and her emerald eyes looked up into the vast blue sky filled with wonders. Two birds dashed across the cloudy sky and she imagined she was one of the pair. Then, without intending to, something unwanted burned at the core of her heart.

It was jealousy. It was the sight of birds soaring in the sky that made her heart turn bitter. The sky promised a lot of freedom and independence she longed for.

 _...Freedom._

What did it feel like? It was a question she didn't have an answer to yet.

As she stood at the top of her school's roof, her eyes took an interest in the ground several feet below. Her heart raced in her chest since she was over the fence meant to keep her safe. She preferred it like this. Her blood always felt like fire when she made rounds along the edges without losing her footing. Some days she wished she would by accident.

The young female felt content with admiring the way the wind made her hair and clothing whip around her. A few loose strands of pink stuck to her cheeks and forehead, adding to her illusion of freedom.

She put one foot out forward and reveled in the rush she felt from something so risky. What she wanted laid right in front of her, but... she couldn't make another move forward. Her foot retracted to its resting place and the metal fence behind her rattled as she leaned against it. Her fingers curled around two of the open spaces.

Maybe one day she could be freer than she was but today wasn't that day. Accepting things like they are felt terribly dull. A bored and tired sigh escaped her lips. Then, the sound of a door slamming open made the hairs on the back of her neck sit up. Her fingers instinctively tightened around the interlinked chains.

Someone was here with her.

The girl prepared a scowl on her face. She was certain she was about to get into it with another teacher or classmate. Yet when she looked over her shoulder, her dirty look slowly fell. The girl didn't recognize the bewildered face looking back at her.

There stood a boy who seemed to be around her age, doubled over in exhaustion with his hands on his knees. He was breathing heavily, making the girl assume he ran a long distance to get here. Then, the breathless words that escaped his mouth caused her eyes to widen largely.

"Don't jump!"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Loud laughter filled the air without pause. Oxygen reaching her lungs was the least of her worries at this moment. No, she could not sit here and _not_ let out all her amusement over the hilarious situation. The girl held onto her stomach, unable to help the tears that trickled up between her lashes.

Meanwhile, the boy stood by her side with a red flush splayed across his face. Despite his embarrassment, he maintained his perseverance. With his hands in tight fists, the boy looked like he wanted to say something, but she's yet to give him the chance to.

"Y-You thought I was g-going to–"

She couldn't even finish her sentence as another chuckle came forth. The corners of her lips reached her ears from how hard she was grinning. He didn't find amusement in the situation like her though.

"You shouldn't hang on the edge of the roof like that! It's far too dangerous!"

She finally opened her lids and squinted her eyes at him. The sun glared down on them, but its brightness didn't hide his main features from her. That was to say she could make out the serious yet concerned expression he looked at her with. Her laughter subsided suddenly.

Her shoulders slumped as she leaned back, using her hands to support her weight. They already evaded the dangers of the rooftop since she sat on the top of the school's shaft now. It still had them perched on a high place, but she was least likely to give the other a heart attack. The distance between her feet and the ground was only a few inches and there was a ladder close to their side.

Instead of continuing to look him in the eyes though, she turned her head and looked straight ahead onto the sunset before her. A warm scarlet poured into the sky, dyeing the remaining traces of the horizon that was still blue. Thread of lights from the slowly descending sun protruded between two buildings, making the sunset even more beautiful.

The boy finally gave up on whatever he was trying to get through to her and took a seat beside her, but not without putting a respectful amount of space between them. She didn't mind the distance since she's accustomed to being avoided. In contrast, there were often individuals who became too friendly with her because her identity attracted unwanted attention.

"I come up here by myself all the time. I know how to balance myself so I don't fall," the female stated, figuring that would be enough to make the other stop unnecessarily fretting over her.

Shouldn't he be more worried about the things that went on with himself? Perhaps he was a nosy person by nature.

That wasn't odd coming from someone in her school, but under these circumstances, it was entirely different. She realized that watching the sunset behind the towers with another person also felt different.

Usually, the female enjoyed these things alone. She wasn't sure what his company evoked, but she didn't wish to entertain it. One look at him confirmed to her he was a student of this school.

He wore their uniform, but it was naturally the male version of hers. The boys wore plaid, light and dark grey pants instead of a skirt, and a light grey and red tie to distinguish the fact he was in the same grade level as her. The second-years wore blue in their ties while the first-years wore yellow. Despite the contrary, they didn't look like they were one year apart in their ages. She rarely spoke to others in her grade and that included ones in her homeroom too.

His black hair was shaggy but nicely taken care of. He had a rather slim physique and his eyes… His eyes were a perfect shade of turquoise that transcended into the hues of a vast, blue ocean. By only looking into these pools she wished to swim in, the girl felt something familiar, but very distant.

That was then when the oddness of his actions reminded her of how weird this boy must be. For the first time in a while, she cracked a small smile. It wasn't a genuinely happy one nor kind, but it showed some sort of gratitude.

"Nobody has ever run all the way up here to stop me before. I appreciate it," she replied, her eyes closing for a moment as they smiled with her.

They missed the awestruck look she caused the boy to take on. They reopened and looked back at the sunset before her, threads of light now peaking between the gaps of buildings. It'll be dark soon and the girl knew because she's replayed this scene so many times she knew it like the back of her hand now.

"You're welcome," she heard him tell her with a trace of lost present in his tone.

Several quiet but comfortable seconds passed until the girl heard him speak again, an innocent question springing up this time but somehow still caused a dull ache in her chest.

"Why do you come up here often? What not be with your friends instead?" he asked.

She wondered why he was still here? People rarely stuck around her this long once they realized they wouldn't be able to get anything out of her. Did he genuinely think she would jump the moment he left her out of his supervision?

 _Pft._

What an unnecessary and stupid concern. She wasn't a hopeless kid anymore.

"I don't have those," she said in a disinterested tone, the small smile that she once donned on her face long gone now. "I come up here to think."

"...Think?" he asked and she could still feel the boy's gaze on her as if he expected her to reveal more than just this.

However, she wouldn't.

"Mm," the girl nodded her head, thinking it was simple enough to understand as it stood. If he wanted more information, he surely didn't press her for it which also struck her as odd. When didn't someone try to stick their nose into her business just because of the last name she shared?

Well, it was her turn to ask a question now.

"Why are you still at school at this hour? Everyone else has gone home by now."

Indeed the colors of the day would rest before they knew it and the sky would turn a dark shade of black, which normally made it dangerous for young people like themselves to walk around the city freely, but she wasn't scared of the many possible consequences that could occur.

His or her own well-being wasn't her concern here, she was just simply interested in what business this boy had to be here at a time she normally sought privacy. The female also preferred for her curiosities to be sated, never welcoming the feeling of being left out of the loop.

Therefore, the least he could do was owe her an explanation. First, he took the entire staircase up to the roof just to prevent something that was never going to occur in the first place, now he was willingly sticking by her side and trying to learn something about her?

Those who did that with her always had an ulterior motive. Perhaps his group of friends saw her from outside of the building and he'd been dared to approach her alone? That assumption struck her as the most plausible. However, the excuse she received was more thought out than what the female thought she'd hear.

"Oh. My sister and brother are both a part of the student council. I promised to help them around with organizing some club forums and other papers," he said with a smile warming its way upon his face.

It was as if just speaking of his family members brought him comfort and memories worth cherishing.

 _Oh?_

That was something she couldn't relate to.

"Hmm. That's interesting."

She supposed.

The girl said this with her same disinterested tone, making it easier for the other to pick up on her mood.

Ah, well if he expected to gain something from her with this small encounter, then she'll go ahead and diminish any hopes of his right now. With a small grunt, the girl pulled her weight up until she was back on her feet, hands taking their natural position at her hips. She was about to take the ladder down to part ways with him, but the girl wanted to get one thing straight first.

"Look, I don't know if someone told you to come see me as a test of courage or something, but I'll tell you now that you won't be able to gain something from me by-"

He didn't allow her to finish.

"What? N-No, that's not what this is about at all! I genuinely thought..."

The boy's words took an abrupt halt in their train of thought which confused the girl enough to make her turn her head around and look at him questionably from over her shoulder. With slightly wide eyes, his gaze seemed interested in something clearly several inches beneath her head and curious enough to know what that was, she followed his line of sight.

"You did get hurt," he pointed out to her now. The meek boy's voice never seemed to leave that place of concern.

 _...Hurt?_

The girl didn't recall doing anything that would inflict any sort of injury, but as she took sight of the same thing that was holding the other's attention, she came to notice that there was indeed a dark purple, swelling bruise on her shin that stuck out like a sore thumb against her whiter skin.

The girl was certain that it wasn't there when she left the house early this morning, but it was evident to see that it was obtained today and right under her nose.

 _Is that all though?_

"Oh. Yeah, so what?" she shrugged her shoulders carelessly, unsure of what he was trying to get at by bringing this to her attention.

Thinking that the conversation would just end there since there was no reason to lengthen it any further, the female student turned on the low heel of her platform shoe to separate from him first. Then, a hand caught her wrist.

"Wait!"

For whatever reason that must've come over her at that moment, she genuinely did stop in her tracks and looked back at him, but with her patience wearing thin.

Her first intention was to tell him one more time to buzz off, but then she noticed the driven look in his sea-colored eyes which was completely different from the other person he first showed to her. All of a sudden, he appeared to her as a much more serious person and not at all the shy boy she took joy in laughing at.

...What did he want from her with that earnest expression, however?

"We have to get that looked at. It can become worse if you just leave it like that."

She didn't get why he cared? If he only approached her on the whim of a dare, he didn't have to go this far. But looking into his eyes, the girl felt there was some sense of sincerity present.

"Please let me walk you to the nurse's office at least. Then, I'll leave."

For the first time since he walked in on her, the lone student's defenses came down all at once. If she needed one last hint that he was not trying to cozy up to her for his own personal gain then this was it. After all, this boy didn't look at her with the eyes of someone who wanted to use her, and she knew very well how to spot someone who was being dishonest with her.

The girl wanted to tell him that there was nothing the school nurse could do for her though. So, he'll only be wasting both of their times here. Yet another part of her was interested in seeing where this would lead to.

"...Fine," she said with an exaggerated sigh escaping her lips, as if the girl he was truly completely reluctant to do this.

The female turned away from him, not waiting for him to keep up with her pace as she took the ladder down. For a few seconds, he just stood there. It was as if her eventual acceptance struck him as a surprise before he quickly came to his senses.

Was he really going to be her escort there?

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **January 11, 2028**

 **5:49 PM**

"Hello?"

His voice echoed into the empty nurse room, as the door opened without a sound. It was just as silent as the infirmary, indicating that no other soul was here but theirs. However, one scan of the room could very much verify that fact as well.

The design of it was familiar to her despite the fact that she's never stepped foot inside of a school infirmary since she was young. She couldn't recall what age she might've been at the time, but the structure of four beds aligned identically to one another with a plain, vanilla curtain was an old sight to her.

However, there usually was one medical profession present, but she wasn't surprised to see that they had already headed home by now which made the trip here even more pointless.

"Oh, well. I guess if she's not here, then I'll be on my way too," the girl nonchalantly stated.

She pulled the black strap of her school bag closer onto her shoulder and proceeded to stick her hands into the pockets of her jacket. The other pushed the curtain back from one of the beds for what she assumed was an attempt to see if anyone happened to still be here, but she's already made her mind to leave.

However, similar to what took place on the rooftop just earlier, he managed to make her pause in her actions with a single word.

"Wait. We should at least put some ice on that. I'm sorry, but can you sit down for a moment?"

 _Oh?_

The left corner of her lip tugged upwards, a devious smirk spreading across the girl's face while her eyes held a mischievous glint to it.

"You're going to nurse me to health? Are you sure this isn't just an excuse to touch a hot girl?" she said teasingly, but all while doing as he asked, plopping down on the bed closest to her without grace.

She didn't need the medical attention, no less from an amateur, but the girl was interested in seeing how well or poorly he would do this. It was only a bruise, yet he was fussing so deeply over something that didn't affect him.

It was completely alien to her. This one really was odd.

She watched with interest as the other began to rummage through one of the cabinets as if he knew exactly what he was looking for. Seconds later, he approached her at the edge of the bed with a medium sized box in his hands.

"Let me take a look at it," The boy said as he gently took the back of her leg with one hand and elevated her foot onto his knee.

Although as if quickly realizing what he was doing, that admirable red flush crept back up on his face and his fingers immediately left her leg as if it would burn him.

"I-If that's okay, I mean?" He asked as if his hand hadn't already made contact with her body.

What did he think she'd do to him?

She waved it off, a small gesture for him to continue since she found no issue in this. He did offer to take care of her after all, so why stop him?

In the meantime, the girl kept still and quietly observed the boy's face as he took the bruise on her shin seriously. She's received all sorts of injuries in her life and had them personally aided to like this before, but while she never cared for people's attempts to nurse her, something about this felt different from those other times.

He felt... almost too familiar.

A warm sensation against her leg brought her out of her daze, her eyes questionably looking down at the source of the heat.

 _A heat patch?_

"Why not ice?" she asked, already aware of the answer but was curious about his reason.

"The heat will boost your circulation and clear the trapped blood. It's just as convenient as putting ice against it, but with a heat patch, you can easily return home with something on it until you can get it looked at by someone more capable."

"Hmm? You sound like you know your stuff," the girl pointed out, but sounded only a tiny bit marveled by this information since this subject wasn't one of her favorites to discuss.

"I have a brother and sister who would attain all sorts of injuries when they played too roughly, or got into small accidents. This is only from experience, that's all."

"The ones in the student council?" the girl asked, her brain slowly becoming more intrigued by him than she realized.

She wasn't normally the one for small talk and this didn't depend on whether it was someone she knew, or if they were a mere stranger.

"Oh, no. Not them," the boy's smile become larger. "I have five sisters and four brothers."

He seemed like the typical happy individual she'll come across often. The way he smiled with the right touch of optimism to it and how he spoke about his loved ones reminded her of a wound she meant to close up a long time ago. She thought she stopped aching for those sorts of things already.

"That's quite a large family. Your parents must be very animated people."

Understanding what she was implying with that, a blush formed on his face which she shamelessly took absolute satisfaction in.

"We're all adopted by our stepfather," he explained to her, but also revealed something that she wouldn't have guessed they'd have in common.

"You too?" she acknowledged his reveal with a half-smile now.

She never liked to spend too much time around individuals, but she was beginning to realize that this one wasn't so bad.

"Ah. You're also... I see. I'm glad we have something in common then," he replied as he gleamed her way with that warm smile of his, taking the words right out her mouth.

The girl wasn't accustomed to not detecting any signs of deceit when someone did that to her. She couldn't immediately tell if it unsettled her, or made her more curious about the other.

"Anyway, keep that on your shin until you can get home and compress it with some ice," the boy easily returned to the matter at hand.

Even if she wasn't the least bit concerned about one bruise out of the many she's experienced. Yet it was still nice to have someone she did not even know actively want to take care of her like this. With a sense of naivety, it was... adorable?

He returned her leg back to her and stood up on his feet again, preparing to fulfill his promise now that he's finished what he came here for. Both initially with his siblings and unintentionally when he also ran into her afterward.

"We should both be heading home now before it gets too late."

She didn't say anything as she stood up with the strap to her school bag still slung over her shoulder, the silver bird-shaped charm that was attached to it jostling around with the sudden movement. He slid the infirmary door open but instead of immediately walking out, he stood there off to the side instead as if he was waiting for her to move first.

She didn't thank him for his chivalry but instead quietly walked out with her fingers laced together, hands nonchalantly resting behind her head. They eventually reached the front gate of the school which was also the point in which they would go their separate ways.

She spoke to him first.

"Well, this is goodbye then. Thanks for the nursing me! You're weren't too shabby at it," she said in an unusual pumped up nature with a rare smile spread out on her face.

With that cute look of slight embarrassment returning to his face, he nodded and was about to turn on his heel until he remembered something, causing him to spin back around to her.

She calmly did the same once his words reached her ears.

"Oh, yeah! I never got your name. Mine is Hiro. I'm in Class 3-B."

 _Only a few steps away from her own._

She expected the other to already know who she was considering her reputation at their school, but it was a reassuring surprise that he didn't. Or at least he didn't lead her to believe so.

It also wasn't until she stood in front of him did she realize the actual height difference between them. Although, it was nothing drastic. They would almost be at the same level if not for the fact that she had a two-inch advantage over him.

 _...He's cute._

"Class 3-C. My name isn't important. You can just call me Zero Two," she commented, awaiting his reaction.

"Zero... Two?" He repeated as a mix of both confusion and surprise understandably crossed his face.

As Zero Two expected, he... No, _Hiro_ was completely thrown off by that, but to her, it was the best way she knew how to introduce herself to Hiro. However, she wouldn't explain it to him today. At least it was a lot better than what her father would call her.

"That's right! See you around, Hiro."

She beamed a cheesy grin his way despite the oddness of her introduction, but to Hiro, she made even an unlikely encounter with the most confusing parting seem magical. When the girl who had only introduced herself as a code number turned her body away from him, her plaid skirt danced in the air with her small spin. When she began to head the opposite direction, the breeze which patterns have gotten less consistent, still made her red scarf sway in the dark evening.

As she left him alone and turned the corner, she still carried his image in her mind.

... _Hiro_.

His name tasted friendly and soft, like a summer that was warm enough to melt away the remains of winter still around them.

Her mind would remember that name for the rest of the night.

* * *

I didn't include an official name for Zero Two's father in this chapter. Mostly, because I wanted to leave it to the readers' imagination. Moving on, I hope this story has captured your interest by now since things will kick off from here now that HiroTwo have met. Thank you for reading if you've decided to turn to the next chapter!

If not, then take you for making it this far at all.

\- Michie


	3. First Steps

This chapter is a mouthful compared to the last two chapters you've gotten through. A mouthful of fluff. The main plot will kick in soon, but in the meantime, enjoy me building up HiroTwo's relationship with cute and crazy situations.

 **TW** : The beginning describes a car accident in detail up until the ellipses. If you wish to skim past that part, it's fine to. Albeit it'll be mentioned again, but not described.

With nothing else to say, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Leave me feedback.

\- Michie

* * *

He was only seven years old at the time when it took place. What was supposed to be a peaceful and relaxing trip to Hakone ended as a traumatizing event. The last thing he recalled was a loud blaring from what sounded like an enclosing car, before it was seconds later, accompanied by a bright, white light that blinded the windshield which he curiously tried to get a peek of.

A scream from his mother filled his ears before the impact came, but it was difficult to understand why the car was spinning before his head suddenly smashed against the window and his body became heavy.

In a moment, the chaos was over but it didn't feel as if it ever stopped for him. At the time, he was unaware of the bloody taste in his mouth, but he wouldn't have been able to identify it had he been so. His head pulsated harshly while his vision was drifting in and out of consciousness, giving signs of the slight concussion he was suffering before it eventually took its toll on his young body.

When he woke up in a white room he was unfamiliar with, he learned that he'd gotten out of a car incident with only a temporary head injury. Unfortunately, his parents suffered a much worse fate. They were murdered by the hands of an intoxicated driver who was eventually arrested for his crime, but that did nothing to fill the boy with any sense of justice since it wouldn't bring his parents back to him.

The murderer could spend however many years he was assigned to behind thin bars, but it would never fill the emptiness that formed in his heart after what was done.

For the longest time, his sky became a dark grey color that was full of gloomy clouds. The warmth that used to embrace him eventually became comfortably cold and numb. At times where he used to smile, at times that he wanted to, something would grab tightly at his heart and make it hard to do the action that should've been natural for any human being.

Yet it was a struggle for him.

Then, one day those clouds slowly cleared out all for the better and an old, but warmly familiar bright blue color stretched out across his sky again. Not completely, no, but just enough to help him raise his head and look forward again.

 _"Are you Hiro?" asked an unidentifiable man. It slightly unnerved him that this person he didn't know knew his name, but Hiro didn't voice that thought aloud._

 _The adult was clearly older than him because of the nice, well-kept suit and tie he donned, as well as his tall height._

 _"...Yes," Hiro said unsurely, but as politely as he could._

 _With a large grin on his face, the man who was soon-to-be his 'Papa' bent down and held his hand out towards him._

 _"It's nice to meet you finally."_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **January 9, 2028**

 **6:02 PM**

Adapting to a new environment and living with someone whom he was wholly unfamiliar with was a difficult transition. Fear and loneliness resonated from inside his heart and mind, and at first, he did not want to accept someone who has vowed to replace his birth parents. He couldn't accept someone like that because it was unfair to the ones who had given him life and then unexpectedly left his far too early. However, over time, Hiro learned what it meant to heal.

Four boys joined the mansion he lived in that was far too large for only two dwellers to reside in. Then, five girls followed: some reserved and others more lively. There was hardly an age gap between them all; the only difference being two who are currently a year older than him and another pair who are the opposite. This made it easier for them to connect as their house filled up with more faces which would eventually become familiar and comfortable for him.

People who could fill up part of the void in his heart. Those same people who Hiro could call his own 'sister', or 'brother'. These were terms he never used with anyone before until this new path was brought forth and opened up to him as a child.

While he loves each and every one of them with everything he has to give, there's still always a ceaseless fear that lingers in the back of his head and chanted to him that they'll one day leave him like his parents had. A trauma that couldn't be completely erased from his past nor his head for good. It was most likely the reason why there's still a missing puzzle piece to Hiro's heart that he's long stopped trying to search for.

Most days, he did his best to push aside those pessimistic thoughts for his own sanity. Ones that told him to give up on everything he's built because the cycle would only continue itself in the end. Some days that method worked, but other days, it'll creep up on him like his shadow and Hiro's thoughts would start to spiral downwards all over again.

Hiro could only do his best to not fall back into the darkest part of his depression and managed to keep his head held high in the eyes of those who watched him.

On the outside, he apparently had the ability to make others feel alive and noticed. As if they belonged someplace in this world, but ironically, he couldn't create this same kind of empowerment for himself.

Hiro tried not to burden others with his own dilemmas however as they were his own to sort out. It was better if he didn't unnecessarily worry others around him with the things he struggled to solve for years. It was the only thing he could do to shield the weak and fearful Hiro inside of himself from others.

"Hiro?"

A voice snapped him back to reality. He already recognized it before he turned his head to his right and was able to see his smallest stepsister standing by the frame of his bedroom door. At the moment, Hiro was seated at his own desk with an opened textbook and a nearly finished set of notes in front of him that was written in pencil.

He was always serious when it came to school and because of his studiousness, he was often praised by his teachers for his consistently good work and almost perfect attendance. The only time the boy has ever missed a few days was when he happened to come down with the common cold that'd been spreading around everywhere at the time and his siblings insisted on his rest, but Hiro always made sure to make up for anything he missed.

"What is it, Ichigo?" he asked with a friendly tone, never being the one to make Ichigo or any of his family members feel like an intruder when they stepped into his room.

"Sorry to bother you. Goro and I just wanted to ask a favor out of you, if that's alright?" Ichigo slowly began, not wishing to throw her request at Hiro all at once lest she caused him to feel pressured to agree to what she planned to ask of him.

Both of them were also aware that they could've easily come to their other siblings before him, but those qualified for the job also had their own after-school activities to attend. Kokoro, his gentlest sister, was a part of the gardening club as a second-year. There's Ikuno, his third-year sister, who was the leader of the school's book club despite her quietness. Two of his brothers, Zorome and Futoshi were both a part of the video game club, which he thought comically fit their personalities well.

Zorome recently finished middle school and was now a first-year in the high school they all attended, but Futoshi was a second-year. Next, there's Miku who's his youngest sister and was in the same boat as Zorome. Surprisingly, she's been taking a part in the cooking club and showed her efforts weren't wasted whenever she decided to help out in the kitchen.

There was also Mitsuru, who was the same age as him and even more reserved than Ikuno by nature. He wasn't a part of any group and preferred to take a beeline straight home once the final bell rang. This was understandable considering the unsociable person he tended to be too.

The last of them was his oldest sister, Naomi, who's a part of the tennis club and was her team's best player. Ichigo and Goro, who are also his oldest siblings, are a part of the student council with his sister as the president and his brother as vice president. Although Ichigo was only older than him by a couple months, she impressed him with her ambition.

Meanwhile, Hiro was similar to Mitsuru because he too was a part of nothing, but at the same time so different. Mitsuru willingly chose not to be a part of the crowd whereas Hiro longed to, but just didn't feel as if he belonged anywhere anymore. Hiro couldn't remember what it feels like to do so.

Even if it not being a part of an inner circle at his adolescence made him the odd one out, he didn't mind that. Due to the amount of free time not belonging to an after-school club has given him, he was the best candidate for Ichigo and Goro's request. Not for that reason alone, but also because he was trustworthy and others could easily lean on him for almost anything. That was specifically why Ichigo always came to him first before anyone else.

He couldn't deny Ichigo nor Goro of his help in their time of need since Hiro understood well how much work it was on them since he's watched them bury their noses in papers so deeply to the point that they fell asleep at their desks.

"Sure, what is it?" Hiro asked with a kind smile stretching across his face, giving his permission to Ichigo to shoot anything at him with that lone action.

Even though he already had his suspicion about what she was about to ask him. The boy turned a bit more fully now so that Ichigo could know that he was all ears for her, resting his arm against the back of his chair.

"Can you stay after school Thursday afternoon to help Goro and I go through some club requests? With the three of us working together, it should be quicker."

"That's fine," Hiro told her with a nod before Ichigo would have a chance to trip over her words and apologize for nothing she needed to.

The least he could do to act like a real brother would be helping his older sister out. She was only older than him by a year, but sometimes when Hiro looked at the true personality hidden inside the 'serious Ichigo' that was displayed under school hours, he thought how much more of a little sister she acted to him.

With his plan for the upcoming Thursday swimming in his head, Hiro decided that if he received any homework that night, he'll just have to make up for it the following day, but that wasn't anything out of his normal abilities. He'd rather put his brother and sister first since they were directly asking for his help again and it wasn't too often that they did. Only if it was the last choice since Ichigo preferred to shoulder everything herself, but that was when Goro came in to help carry the load.

However, sometimes two people were just not sufficient enough. They were still human with their limits and own lives after all.

"Thanks, Hiro!" she sent a large smile his way, one that always made his chest feel a little less heavy when he agreed to do something that would make others happy.

It made him feel as if he still existed for some acceptable reason even if those moments of complacency were temporary, but it had to be enough to sustain him. He couldn't reach any further than this, or so Hiro told himself.

After returning Ichigo's smile with his own and a nod of the head, the door was closed to allow him back his privacy. His household understood that if his bedroom door was closed then this usually meant that he was busy studying for something important and did not wish for any outside disruptions.

Sometimes it also meant that he wished to be alone with his thoughts, but Hiro couldn't tell if anyone around him knew the difference between the two. At most times, the boy couldn't discern when he was making an excuse to be with his thoughts and when he genuinely wanted to study for school.

On the other side of the coin, when Hiro's door was wide open, his siblings and Papa understood that this meant they were free to enter as they pleased since Hiro's room was like any other room in the house. As Hiro finalized his plan for how he'll spend his Thursday afternoon, he turned around in his seat and wrote beside the last couple of bulletins for his notes.

* * *

 **January 11, 2028**

 **4:50 PM**

"That's the last of them," Hiro stated as he diligently stacked a thick set of paper together, clipped them by the top so that they held, and then placed the set into an assigned basket that was filled with the previous ones he finished.

After a little of over an hour of separating club requests, forms, and other important shenanigans as Hiro would classify them, from the reject and accept pile, the three of them appeared to be done with each of their tasks.

"Thanks again, Hiro," Goro replied from across the large white table that took up most of the room in the student council room.

Ichigo was seated by his side, still labeling papers by colored marking flags which told him he was the one who had beat them to completion. His part was over, but it naturally didn't sit well with Hiro to get up and return home when there was more he could still help them with.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Hiro suggested.

He was unsure of what more he could do for them as an unofficial student council member, but as a family member, he was more than willing to learn what he didn't understand. Goro, with one finger, pushed up the middle of his eyeglasses that had slid down the bridge of his nose by a centimeter.

"It's fine. We'll just look over everything one last time before we head home. You've done enough for us as it stands, so you should go on ahead. Ichigo and I will be behind you shortly."

Hesitance shook him as Hiro's eyes glanced over at Ichigo who had finally looked up from her miscellaneous but organized papers to throw a smile his way. She didn't have to use her words in order for Hiro to understand that she was reassuring him that they could handle the rest on their own, and who was he to doubt them? He made the quick decision to just put his trust into them both.

Despite all of the time he spent seated here, Hiro didn't feel as if he'd truly done much for Ichigo and Goro in the end. He just sorted papers the entire time and the male wondered if that given task had even been very beneficial to them?

The most he could do now was allow them to pick up the parts he lacked. They've been handling the student council for as long as he could remember now, so they would have a far better expertise at this than he did. Hiro could only hope that he was genuinely able to make things even a tiny bit easier on the two people he loves dearly.

Albeit that feeling that there was more he should be able to do still lingered in his heart, there was nothing Hiro could do about it if they wouldn't accept more of his help. He had to leave it at this. Hiro quietly nodded his head and took a stand from his seat, the feet of his chair scratching against the wooden floor as he pushed it a few centimeters away with the heel of his foot. He made sure to push it back in before he made a trail for the door.

"I'll see you both home for dinner then," Hiro's parting words with them were, but he stopped to gaze over at them one last time.

Ichigo made sure not to immediately return to her papers so she could wave 'goodbye' to him. Goro did the same, but in his own way by sparing him a look with his usual entrusting smile sitting on his face.

Hiro didn't have to force himself to return the smile before his hand twisted the doorknob.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

When Hiro took his first step outside of the school and the chill iciness that belonged to winter whispered against his bare skin, Hiro was reminded that these days it was still frigid despite a warmer season being almost around the corner. It was as if they never moved on from the holidays and Christmas would be tomorrow instead of last month. Fortunately, the thickness of his jacket that covered his neck and arms kept him as warm as an oven. It did enough of a blessing to get him through these cold school days and nights.

As the boy began his walk towards the school's front gate, his eyes instinctively took interest in the sky above him that seemed to travel for eternity. It even reached another world that he was unable to, but believing that there was an afterlife helped Hiro to feel connected to his parents.

From there could they watch over him? Had they been peering down on him that time he accidentally left school without retrieving the shoes he came in with? ...Did they laugh over their dimwitted, forgetful son?

Thinking of these things oddly made Hiro feel better. The souls of his parents are free forever and sometimes, just sometimes...

Hiro envied that pleasure.

But he couldn't allow himself to because a lot of people he loved in his own world needed him and he reciprocated their love enough not to willingly abandon them and pass down the scar his own parents have left him with. He was strong not for his own sake, but for theirs.

A few passing birds in the sky caught his attention, causing his body to rotate as his eyes followed them with interest. Once more, he was reminded of two very important people who were no longer within him, but at the same time very close to him.

The birds flew over the roof of the school and eventually further than what his eyes could reach, but for whatever reason possible, Hiro's eyes still lingered on the place he last saw their image. Was he hoping they'd turn back for him?

Eventually, Hiro snapped out of his one of many dazes which still occurred more times than he actually preferred it to. He was about to turn his body back around to continue his walk home while the sun still lit up the city behind the clouds, but then his turquoise eyes landed on someone who caused his body to be struck with immediate panic.

Even though they were far away from him, his eyes widened in horror once he noticed that the person's arms were outspread with one foot hanging off the edge of the roof.

Without even stopping to think, Hiro's body moved.

* * *

 **January 12, 2028**

 **7:40 AM**

She was beautiful. Ever since he met her at the school that late Thursday, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He remembered her eyes well because they had been a deep, restless pool of emerald. So deep that Hiro almost believed he could be pulled into them and drown if he recalled the color too much.

Her skin was an ivory white, appearing smooth to the touch despite the blemish she had on her shin at the time. Her hair... It was a pastel, strawberry color and transcended down her back like a princess, stopping only a few inches past it. Hiro couldn't forget how beautifully it blew in the wind as if she were a part of nature itself.

She didn't seem to hide her emotions from him, although more time with her would tell Hiro if that was truly the case or not. _If_... He ever saw her again, that was. He didn't dislike her honesty even at the cost of his own humiliation. He thought he wouldn't mind if she laughed at him again if it meant seeing her smile one more time.

At first, Hiro was certain that she was annoyed with his presence, but her attitude had done a quick turnaround after they exited the nurse's office. Had she only been nice out of common courtesy for helping her with her injury? He wasn't sure yet.

The name she'd given him was too foreign for him to seriously consider, but it was the only thing he had to associate with her at the same time. Did '02' happen to be her student ID number? Despite yesterday's meeting, Hiro still did not know her true name and he was certain that she had a real one because she was human just like him and anyone else.

A human who deserved to be called by their real name and not just a code number.

Hiro recalled how her soul seemed to show in the brightness of her eyes at the time with the large smile plastered across her face, reinforcing his opinion that she was indeed very much human. He remembered even the smallest detail and how her nose seemed to crinkle as she shot him an eventual eye-smile. It was as if Zero Two was the sun itself and he couldn't help but be pulled into her gravity.

The event only took place a day ago, but he was already smitten by her.

Except Hiro didn't know anything about her, but that was exactly why he wanted to learn so the next time he saw her. If he did. Maybe then he could ask for her real name, or anything far more suitable to associate with her.

The unique female student he met yesterday continued to run laps in his head even as Hiro made his way into the chatty halls of his school. It sounded like nothing but drowned out commotion to his ears, but this wouldn't be the first time he's ever muted out those around him.

There were always students who took advantage of the time before the first bell to catch up with their friends, but he was one of the other halves of students who always headed straight to their needed destination. However, Hiro was so zoned out that the boy hadn't even realized that he made it to his locker a couple of seconds ago.

It created an awkward sight of him just standing there with his hand unmoving on the handle if anyone happened to be watching him. It wasn't until a heavy hand fell harmlessly atop his head did Hiro's mind recalled its senses again.

"Yo."

Hiro knew who the deep voice belonged to before he even turned his head to the side. Yet somehow he was still taken aback by Goro's sudden presence beside him, causing his shoulders to tense up. His brother seemed content with the way he managed to make him jump in his own skin though, judging by the amused smile on his face.

"Goro..." Hiro spoke with relief present in his tone, "Good morning."

He could include his usual greeting now that the increased patterns of his heartbeat have quickly calmed down. This is normally the only chance Hiro would have to do so as well since Ichigo and Goro prefer to arrive at school an hour early before it'll fill out with more students given the important titles they carry.

Meanwhile, he and the rest of his siblings come to school all together. Because of that arrangement, it wasn't abnormal for two people who lived together to greet or see each other for the first time in the hall.

"You arrived home an hour after us last night. The others were worried when Ichigo and I came home without you since we were supposed to be right behind you. What were you up to?" Goro questioned, his smile vanished now with one eyebrow cocked upwards to show that this was less out of his genuine curiosity and more out of worriment.

Hiro knew that he owed everyone a proper explanation too since he'd been too tired and unfocused to answer any questions last night. But he could start with one of his brothers at the very least.

"Huh? Oh... It was nothing. I just ran into someone as I was leaving school," Hiro reassured him with a slightly forced smile and a light shake of the head.

He didn't feel the need to lie to Goro since there was nothing to feel guilty of when all he'd done was help out another student. However, he didn't plan to reveal the circumstances that happened under since the root of the situation felt too heavy of a topic to casually bring up first thing in the morning.

"Oh," Goro let out a noticeable sigh of relief through his chest, emphasizing the fact that he really did make his family worry for no reason. "You just ran into one of your friends?"

Goro was more than aware that Hiro had a lot of classmates who liked him here; teachers included. So, it didn't sound abnormal for Hiro to possibly run into someone he knew after school.

"No... I– Nevermind actually. I just lost track of time. I won't let it happen again."

The look on Goro's face told him that he wanted to ask more, but his expression returning to its normal, composed state told Hiro that he thankfully decided against it at the last minute.

"It's all fine by me. Just be prepared to face Ichigo later. You know that it's permitted to make stops on the way home."

Hiro knew that the part Goro didn't include was the fact that Ichigo worried about his well-being a lot and understandably so. However, he did his best to be less of a burden to his sister now that she had larger things to focus on.

He sometimes thought Ichigo worried about him more than she worried about herself and that was more concerning for him than it was for her. Hiro knew that Ichigo's actions always came from a good place though despite her tendencies to become emotional and worry needlessly over all of them.

But if she was always worrying over them, who would take care of her? That question haunted him and always left Hiro with a sense of guilt whenever he would begin to think of his sister.

"I'll make sure to talk to Ichigo," Hiro told him with a nod.

Fingers that had yet to leave the top of his head rustled around his hair affectionately, before they retreated to the back of his head. Instinctively, Hiro smoothed his own hand down his head of hair to fix the strands that might've gotten messed up in the process of Goro's undivided attention.

"Good. She'll be happy that you came to her first," the other replied to Hiro before he parted from him with a genial smirk on his face, allowing his words to sink into Hiro's head as he retreated to his first class for the morning.

 _Come to her first?_

Feeling tuckered out, a sigh left Hiro's lips while his fears of the battle he was in for later consumed his thoughts, but he did his best to push them aside since it'll do him no good to fret over it now. He'll pick the problem up again only once he actually saw Ichigo for the second time today. For now, it was too early for these sorts of heavy thoughts to be weighing down on his mind.

He pressed down on the handle of his locker as it made its familiar click, his other hand moving to the back of his heel to remove the shoes he arrived in to switch them out with his house ones. However, Hiro paused mid-action when a small and delicate object then fell out of the square containment.

His eyes followed the object, watching as the wind cradled it in its arms until they grew too weak to hold on any longer, thus landing lifelessly at his feet. One glimpse allowed Hiro to discern the fact that it was indeed a piece of folded paper.

 _Another one of these?_

He leaned down and took it in between two of his fingers, curious eyes scanning the man-made print on it. It was definitely someone's handwriting and while it appeared rushed; it was still readable for his eyes.

 **'Meet me at the Jian Park after school. I'll be waiting eagerly!'**

 **\- 02**

The penmanship was signed with a doodled heart at the end of the note.

' _02'_... Zero Two? It was her! The realization caused Hiro to drop the note in his hand, his arms fumbling around clumsily for a bit before he was able to catch it again.

This time with more care, Hiro held the note firmer so that it wouldn't slip from his grasp, eyes reading the message written on it several more times just to ensure that he wasn't imagining this. Or that this wasn't a joke, but the signature was just too distinctive for him not to know that it was from her.

No one else would usually sign a letter with that kind of nonstandard signature, but her.

But _why_ has she written to him?

While Hiro was accustomed to coming to his locker to anonymous and not so secretive letters that tended to be confessions of love from his female classmates, this was the only one in the longest to cause his heart to immediately skip a beat.

He could recall feeling this way only the first couple of times he was ever confessed to, but eventually after a long time of the same repetition and being unable to reciprocate their romantic feelings for him, Hiro wouldn't have imagined that this one would be any different.

Yet this wasn't even a confession of love, but simply a note sending him to a location that he can meet her later. Hiro then wondered how she knew that he wanted to see her at all. Was Zero Two just as curious about him as he was with her?

But what could she want from him there?

Hiro knew that he wouldn't get his questions until the end of the school day, however. He folded the note back up and slipped it into a safe spot in his schoolbag, then proceeded to switch his shoes out with his slippers. As his feet took him to his regularly assigned classroom, Hiro's thoughts were already back on the girl he has mentally agreed to meet again today.

* * *

 **January 12, 2028**

 **3:04 PM**

It was fortunate that the Jian Park was only a couple of blocks down the street from the school since it meant that he was able to get there before it would be even close to dusk. He promised Goro only earlier that he wouldn't take any more stops on the way home, but how quickly he ended up betraying his own words.

In his head, Hiro mouthed a silent apology towards his family who would have worry once more tonight, but at least this time, he was considerate enough to take out his phone and alert Ichigo that he'll be late for dinner again through a quick text. That should keep her and the rest of his family at bay until he returned home.

His main task now was wondering when the very person who invited him here would actually show up. The park still appeared lively despite the fact that it was not very busy today considering how younger children were only coming home from school around this time and other parents were also tied up at their own workplaces.

That meant it gave high-schoolers such as him the freedom to come into the park and receive a break from the general public. It was a nonsensical thing to wish for when you live smack in the middle of a city, however.

As he sat on the wooden bench, waiting for the girl he met yesterday to arrive, Hiro took this chance to admire the natural beauty of this place. It was easy to see that the park was properly kept up with judging by how the camellias and hostas still looked as lively as the first time Hiro set eyes on them, blooming beautifully each and every day without a hint of an impending death.

The park was spacious with an invigorating, lush green that spread out for miles, and canopies tied between tree trunks. There was a clear trail open to citizens to walk and jog along, and even a nearby lake that was full of adult and baby guppies.

Before it used to be an ordinary park with nothing going on for it except a tiny playground for smaller children, but ever since the property was bought by another owner, it was hard to think that the park he sat in now was the same one he used to pass every drive home from elementary school.

Hiro hasn't realized until now how much the place he's grown up in has changed. His eyes watched as a beautiful, white bird tucked in its wings when it landed on its feet, before proceeding to pick at various crumbs on the ground with its beak. It appeared to be uneaten bird food which was most likely from the last person who hung around this area and decided to feed the city birds.

Hiro wouldn't have the chance to birdwatch any further as a loud and sudden voice came by his ear, closer to him than he even realized.

"Boo!"

When the shout reached his ears, it caused Hiro's heart to practically leap out of his chest along with a yelp. It seemed that the bird, which was once diligently picking at the ground, also was not expecting the abrupt noise when it fluttered its white wings and quickly absconded in fear.

Unfortunately, Hiro didn't have the luxury to flee from the scene that fast. He heard a feminine chuckle from behind him that followed his attack all while Hiro's heart rate was still trying to even out in his chest.

With Hiro's brain fully alert now, he turned his body around to take a good look at the reason for his near heart attack, but once he absorbed who it was who'd caught him unguarded, the boy's wide turquoise eyes resized to normal. The initial tenseness in his shoulders also eased out into a noticeable slump and a relieved sigh left Hiro's mouth.

His lips were parted now in preparation to say something to her, but his words died on his tongue all too quickly when he saw her crinkled up facial features as she laughed hard. With her arms, she held onto her stomach as if him nearly jumping out of his skin was truly that humorous to her.

This was the second time they've met this way, but maybe it really was funny this time?

As Hiro reflected over his own actions, he could clearly see why it would evoke such a strong reaction out of Zero Two. Before the boy even knew it, he was soon joining the other in her amusement with his own gentle laughter. To be able to laugh like this... At all... It felt so good to him and oddly enough, Hiro could feel a calmness sweeping through him that he hasn't felt all day.

Before he'd been really nervous about seeing her again in person for a reason Hiro couldn't conjure yet, but now that she was here and in front of him, the unwanted anxiety withered away just like that. Even if Hiro didn't understand why Zero Two had that kind of spell over him, he was thankful that his solution turned out to be so easy.

"You seem really fun to mess with, Hiro," the girl of the evening said to him, flashing her ivories at him as she cheesed hard.

When her laughter finally subsided, her grin fell some but the candle never went out because Zero Two kept that mesmerizing smile present on her face. There was a brief but comfortable moment of silence between them as the taller walked around the bench to face Hiro instead, arms clasped behind her back where her fingers also held onto her schoolbag.

Now that she was here, Hiro thought this was the best time to ask her the question that's been running around in his head all day.

"If it's okay to ask... Why did you call me out here?" Hiro came out with it since he couldn't help but think this had to be for a serious cause.

After all, she specifically directed him here with a place and time. However, the other's amount of casualness imbalanced him and made this seem as if they were two friends who were only catching up with one another. Apparently, he wasn't too wrong to assume that either.

"To swim," Zero Two put it simply as that, dropping her school bag beside him on the bench before taking a few steps backward.

 _...Swim?_

"Huh? ...But there's not a pool here," Hiro questionably stated the obvious.

But that fact of his either didn't register inside the girl's head, or Zero Two chose to outright ignore him because she was already stripping down right in front of him.

Zero Two slipped the sleeves of her school jacket down her silky white arms, then began to fondle with the front buttons on the blouse. Panic ransacked Hiro's body and he rushed to squeeze his eyes closed, head turning away from her entirely before he would accidentally witness more than he should.

"W-Why are you doing that here?!" Hiro stammered, able to feel the heat rising to his face.

He heard a small, confused hum slip from her mouth which made it easy for Hiro to imagine what her expression looked like at this time.

"What? I don't like swimming in my clothes, it's uncomfortable."

But then Zero Two took a short pause before realization hit her and a mischievous smirk started to spread out across her face.

"You don't have to be so modest around me. It's fine for boys your age to be interested in a girl's body, isn't it?" the girl said with a hint of amusement visible in her tone which made it difficult for Hiro to believe that she was not teasing him.

"That's... That's not the problem here!" Hiro exclaimed.

He truly couldn't be happier that this part of the park was deserted for the time being. Otherwise, someone would've picked up on their commotion by now and possibly see Zero Two in her indecent state of undress.

The sound of a zipper coming undone reached his ears, then seconds later, a heavy amount of water being pushed around in large ripples. Had she really entered the lake? Even though her stripping before him should've provided enough evidence of how serious Zero Two was about this, Hiro's brain still couldn't believe it.

Despite the park's cleanliness, Hiro knew the lake water wasn't suitable for just anyone to take a dip in because it wasn't permitted by the park. He did not want to open his eyes to verify whether or not the other had indeed gone into the lake, but it would become harder to resist when Zero Two continued to call out to him.

"Hiro! Come join me!" she shouted happily, waving a wet arm at him that he couldn't see.

However, she sounded just happy enough that Hiro was able to put his guard down for a second and take the chance of peeking out of one eye to see if his ears truly weren't betraying him. As he saw her swimming backward, the young boy was fully relieved to see that the most womanly parts of her body were covered by her underwear she thankfully kept on.

Whether this was done out of modesty or for the sake of the law he wasn't sure, but it didn't seem as if Zero Two had an ounce of it yet. Or, was she simply more confident than he was?

"Um... I think I'll stay here actually."

There a hesitant waver to his voice because he was unable to just stand up and strip from all his clothes like she could without batting an eye. Furthermore, jumping into the nearest lake he could find that wasn't even made for him. Neither of them to be exact.

He was not even in the mood for a swim at the moment and he hasn't swum in quite a long time either. Hiro believed he would be fine just watching her from afar since it was a role he was well accustomed to. He could also be on the lookout for any other civilians who might catch Zero Two in the act of doing something that wasn't allowed by the park.

Hiro's eyes followed the female as the lake easily carried the weight of her slim body, helping her to float along its surface as if the girl was weightless. As Zero Two helped herself move about freely by gently kicking her feet back and forth, Hiro silently wondered why she has yet to react to how ice cold the water must feel to her right now.

Things were only just beginning to warm up around here, but it was much too soon for anyone to take a dip in the nearest lake they could find. Yet the frigid temperature did not seem to stop this girl.

Her rhythmic strokes continued with her lids completely closed, appearing as if she was taking the best nap she's had all day but straight in the middle of the lake. The sun glistened down on her and illuminated the wet beads that stuck to the small hairs of her skin, as well as the water that futilely tried to swallow her whole.

And in this very moment, Hiro couldn't help but think the other looked close to a goddess. Or would a mermaid be a more suitable image with how easily she made the lake her own? It was as if Zero Two was not human and was returning to her natural habitat instead of taking a simple dip in the Jian Park.

Humorously, that would work out with well with the uninformative name she approached him with, but Hiro knew that comical theory didn't hold true.

With more time to be with his thoughts, the boy wondered if it was the sensation of the water as a whole that made her feel at peace? If so, then Hiro was a little glad to understand one thing about her. No, he didn't prefer to swim. However, whenever Hiro wanted to take some time to be alone and didn't feel like stepping outside to breathe the raw air of the city, indulging in a long and warm bath was his second go to.

His role as the quiet bystander was short-lived since after a couple of quiet minutes had passed, some words then formed out of Zero Two's mouth.

"Nope. This is too boring after all."

Hiro didn't immediately understand what the other meant until she swam back to where she first stuck her toes in and took two large steps out of the lake.

"Oh? You're getting out?"

For a moment, the boy felt a huge sense of relief. He believed that she must've changed her mind that quickly, but Hiro's relief was cut short when his eyes took in more than it intended to.

Once more, he was looking away from the other's body which appeared even more indecent now that she was drenched from head to toe. Looking away would be his downfall however since it wouldn't help Hiro prepare for what was about to come.

"Only to make you join me!" The drenched girl came over to him and took his wrist into her wet hand, "Hiro!"

With an impressive amount of strength, the girl managed to get him off his bottom with one strong yet gentle pull.

"Woah!"

Hiro didn't have time to be impressed by the other's show of strength however when his feet were involuntarily being guided dangerously closer and closer to the lake. The large, ecstatic smile that took over her face—alongside the firm grasp she had around his defenseless wrist—allowed Hiro to know that he was completely in her hands now.

Perhaps Hiro has been so from the moment he agreed to meet her here.

Needless to say, there was nowhere for him to run now as the girl dragged him to the foot of the lake, the cold water that greeted his feet causing Hiro to recoil at the first touch. Zero Two's grasp still did not let up and she continued to drag him deeper into the water until the water eventually reached his knees. And even further as it then reached his back, evoking an entire shiver from Hiro's body. It was freezing!

His eyes looked over at the girl who'd brought him here whether or not that was a quiet plea for freedom. He was digesting how the other's reaction to the lake differed from his so drastically and it wasn't until then did Hiro realize that this girl appeared to be genuinely having a lot of fun.

He wasn't doing much to add to her enjoyment instead of awkwardly being pulled around by the other, but she still looked like she was having genuine... _fun_.

Her look of happiness made something inside of Hiro's chest stir, but he couldn't put a name to this emotion yet. He should've been able to, but this feeling was too different from the other sensations his heart endured. One half of him wanted to know what else this girl could make him feel; the other half was afraid to find out.

His body adjusted to the temperature faster than he imagined it would and once it did, the water oddly felt better to him. Was this what Zero Two felt?

"Doesn't this feel much better than sitting down?" she asked him with pure joy budding from her tone.

Hiro found it hard to not admit aloud to the both of them that this was indeed a little more fun than where he chose to distance himself before. It was more involved than Hiro has allowed himself to be in a long time without pretending he didn't want to immediately seek isolation in his room, or anyplace else that was convenient to him.

Out of all the possible things he tried to imagine she'd want to meet up with him for, Hiro never once thought the scenario would end with him in such a situation. He'll definitely have to switch back into his gym clothes before he went home and find a reason for carrying the drenched uniform instead of wearing it to his family. For now, Hiro decided to just be present with Zero Two.

"I guess... It is more fun," Hiro couldn't deny as a chuckle escaped his mouth, unaware that this was the first time in the longest that he's smiled and he did not have to hide any of his concerns behind it.

"That's the spirit, Hiro!" Zero Two exclaimed in glee, her eyes smiling alongside her mouth this time when she turned back towards him.

Her damp bangs stuck to her forehead and the water now reached her stomach. Although this ended up revealing more of her body to him and inevitably forced Hiro's eyes to catch an unwanted glimpse of her bra that was clad against her breasts due to its state.

The sight of her underwear alone was too much for him to bear, but her shapely cleavage also added to his bashfulness. Quickly, Hiro averted his eyes for the third time in that same hour and turned his head completely to the side. Obviously, Zero Two didn't miss this indiscreet action.

"What's wrong?"

Confusion took over the joyfulness on her face and a sting in her heart accompanied that feeling when the girl was reminded of a memory she didn't wish to recall at this time. Hiro couldn't have known that with how far apart their worlds still were though.

To Hiro, he was doing the respectful thing by not letting his eyes see her body despite her earlier consent. He just couldn't do that to her.

"It's just... Your um, underwear..."

Unable to finish his sentence without being blunt or abandoning his pride, the boy hoped the other would catch the memo so that he didn't have to do the worst which was spelling it out for her.

"What of it?" Still, Zero Two asked and he couldn't be so sure if she genuinely didn't catch the hint, or was only teasing him. "You should remove your clothes too. You'll be more comfortable."

"No, I... I'm fine," Hiro declined what would normally be a reasonable suggestion if only the thought of undressing in front of someone he only met yesterday sat well with him.

 _'Huh?'_ , he thought as he heard the water being pushed around again, the sound getting heavier as it grew nearer to him.

When Hiro looked forward he could see that the other has abandoned the distance that was once in between them which undoubtedly gave the boy a scare. Instinctively, he took a step back in the water, but something made Hiro freeze in his spot when she got so close to his face, wearing a devious smirk on her own.

"Or could it be that you're still embarrassed about being around a girl like this?" Her voice lowered in a way that made a warm shiver run down his spine and for some reason, his brain couldn't fathom a complete sentence to respond to her with.

"Well, I..."

His eyes. They naturally lowered to the chest right before him, and when his face turned a lighter shade of red, she knew that she had her answer. Not that she wasn't sure of it before, but this proof made this more fun for her.

"Luckily, I know how to help. Close your eyes for a moment and don't open them until I tell you so, 'kay?"

Hiro didn't know why he complied, but the potency of her words and her tone sounding as sweet as honey put him into a small spell. Honestly, he did not know what he was even preparing for, but whatever that could've been, Hiro didn't anticipate the sensation of ice cold water being splashed his way.

Quickly, his eyelids to opened to assess the crime scene, but the new dampness to his once dry hair was enough evidence of what the other had slyly done. Once his head stopped processing the fact that he'd been tricked, Hiro smiled largely her way.

"Hey!" He said, but not angrily if the grin on his face wasn't enough to reassure the other of so.

He swung his arm and splashed the other back, being rewarded with the increasing volume of her laughter. Zero Two got her revenge by repeating her earlier attack, only this time with a larger swing which was unfortunate for Hiro, who was hit with an even harder shower of water.

Soon, the two were laughing giddily and became lost in their fun. One was either swimming after the other while the other was trying to get away from the threat in the water before those roles would swap, and so on. Right now they couldn't appear any more like two teenagers.

Several minutes later, the duo was trying to catch their breaths to compensate for the energy they exerted during their playful fight. It was then when Hiro noticed an enclosing figure from the corner of his vision, his head turning around to verify what the boy believed he'd seen. And alas he was met with the sight of a regular citizen either doing a nature walk or simply passing by.

The reminder that they weren't as alone as his brain temporarily made him believe caused Hiro to return to that paranoid state. His head turned back around to Zero Two who had returned to gracefully swimming on her back again. She looked so peaceful that he almost hated to bring a stop to it, but he rather not attract any unnecessary attention with their antics.

"We should get out before someone reports us," Hiro said hastily, hoping the other would catch his hint.

He didn't want their fun to end, but well, there were surely other things they could do that didn't involve getting themselves wet. Or... _wetter_ , he should say. However, his fear of the other not complying to his suggestion came true as the other didn't even bat an eyelash his way. She only continued to float on her back in the surrounding water.

"Hmm? Why would I want to leave this soon? I haven't gotten to swim in such a long time," Zero Two replied sleepily to him, easy to see that she wasn't bothered by his own concerns and was beginning to fall into a lull.

Hiro let out a hopeless sigh before ransacking his brain for a good reason that would convince the other to head someplace else. A bribe then popped up in his head.

"How about I treat you to a snack if you do?"

No, of course, she wouldn't fall for this. It was such a childish bribe and Zero Two clearly didn't look like a kid to him. Her voluptuous body said otherwise. Now Hiro began to feel silly for thinking something that would work well on his brother, Futoshi, would also work the same on–

"Ice cream!"

 _Huh?_

There was surely more to her sentence, but he'd unintentionally drowned out the rest and these were the only two words that popped out to him. As much as it also struck him as odd.

"...Ice cream?"

With a triumphant smile on her face, she nodded her head.

"I said I want ice cream. You didn't mention what it had to be," the girl didn't mind repeating herself for him.

Furthermore, Zero Two was already swimming back towards the edge of the lake for what he could only assume was out of a hasty preparation to leave and obtain her ice cream as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Hiro was left surprised by her quick acceptance because he honestly didn't expect that to work so effortlessly on another third-year.

Zero Two seemed to love to surprise him, however.

"Yes, but don't you think it's still a little too cold for ice cream? You just swam in the water, so you could get sick at this rat–"

" _Ice cream_ ," the other said once more, but in a stern tone that was less like the honey he compared it to and enough to shut Hiro up in the middle of his words.

It was evident that his own reasons wouldn't win here. With a defeated and light shake of the head, Hiro followed behind her. Once out of the lake, he ringed his shirt out with his back turned to the other whom fortunately began to dress herself again.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **January 12, 2028**

 **4:15 PM**

He couldn't help but watch as Zero Two happily licked at her strawberry flavored, honey coated ice cream. It was three scopes atop of a diamond-shaped cone to be exact and it had cost him only 214 yen. Hiro thought the price was a bit high in comparison to the 10 yen he remembered spending on ice cream when he was a lot younger, but the additional money appeared to be worth it when Zero Two looked this satisfied with her treat.

He thought that strawberry was a naturally good flavor by itself, but Hiro was bewildered when she asked the ice cream maker if he could top her ice cream with any honey syrup. That was the first time he's ever heard of someone eating ice cream topped with honey, so it was expected that Hiro was even more surprised when he found out that the ice cream shop indeed had some laying around for the occasion.

Strawberry and honey wasn't his cup of tea, but if it pleased her sweet tooth, then he didn't mind voluntarily buying such a weird and cavity induced combination. Despite not knowing her well, Hiro also felt satisfied by just seeing her happy.

He hadn't realized how long he'd been staring at her until their eyes unintentionally met. Unintentionally in his own case at least.

She met his gaze with a curious one at first until her features slowly turned warmer for a reason Hiro couldn't tell why, but Zero Two was smiling at him as if she was staring at something beyond the embarrassing fluster on his cheeks. Hiro was quick to avert his gaze, less out of modesty this time and more because of the fact that her presence intimidated him to some extent.

It was only then when it dawned on Hiro that this was his first time hanging around a girl that wasn't one of his sisters whom he was more familiar with. So far Zero Two behaved like none of them, so he wasn't too sure how to act around her. He didn't know the things she liked, what he could say to her, and what he couldn't.

It wasn't that Hiro was uncomfortable around her, but the paranoia that he was being judged so closely by someone outside of his normal peers stressed him out a bit.

Hiro wanted to get to know her better, but he was also worried about saying the wrong thing to her if his memories with his sisters showed him anything. Even though he was well loved by them, that familial affection didn't save even him from their rage when he messed up too badly. That brought Hiro back to the conclusion that while he had experience with them, he didn't have any with Zero Two.

Now that he thought about it, she did seem to act a little like his youngest brother, Zorome, but he was obviously a male and she was a female. Hiro knew he couldn't just treat Zero Two in the same way as he does with his brother.

A dulcet voice brought him back from his deep thoughts that Hiro hadn't even realized he'd zoned out into.

"What's wrong? Did you want a bite as well?" she asked Hiro while holding her ice cream cone out towards him, a bit too close to his lips.

Hiro was unable to tell if she was being dead serious, or only teasing him for the nth time today since he's yet to learn how to discern the differences in her tones and expressions. However, as someone who was unaccustomed to being teased, Hiro naturally interpreted this as the former which no doubt caused the warmth on his cheeks to spread out to his entire face.

"No, I don't," Hiro nimbly replied as he pushed his head back from her unappetizing treat to get his point across.

Just looking at it forced him to imagine the cry his taste buds would let out from the sweetness, but what bothered him the most was the idea of eating from the same place Zero Two's mouth was just on. He didn't want to look like a pervert in her eyes and simply the thought of that alone was enough to make him feel a sense of shame. Despite none of this being any of his true intentions.

"Oh, right."

Although it sounded as if Zero Two had given up that fast, it was quite the opposite situation when she picked up the unused spoon from her still clean napkin that was both given to her by the shop. From there, she then took out a large chunk of her ice cream with the spoon from the side that her tongue had yet to touch.

"This is better then?"

This time instead of holding out her cone to him, she brought the spoonful of the strawberry and honey desert close to his mouth. A chunk a bit too big for just one bite, but it wasn't as if he was actually about to accept it, right? That would be weird for two people whom just met.

"Ah... No, Zero Two. I mean I appreciate your kindness, but it's really okay. I can eat when I get home."

He wasn't certain if he was even hungry, but decided that if he said this then the other might stop her attempts. Hiro really didn't want Zero Two to feel the need to share with him because he couldn't control his own hunger. After all, he bought this treat for her.

"Hmm?" Zero Two hummed as her shoulders suddenly slumped and her smile turned into a frown.

Hiro couldn't help but compare her to a sullen puppy in his mind. Although, now he was worried. Oh, no. Has he upset her already? As the girl turned forward again and ate the rejected chunk of sweetness herself, the guilt starting inside of Hiro's heart manifested.

"Well, alright. You were just staring at my mouth so hard, I thought you wanted a taste too," the female said thoughtfully without waiting to swallow her ice cream before speaking.

A smug smile then washed up on her face which revealed the sly but playful intentions behind her words. As for Hiro, Zero Two announced this a bit too loudly for his own liking which caused Hiro's eyes to bulge out, before scoping their surroundings to make sure no one had heard her.

Much to his misfortune, there was one woman on the opposite side of the road from them. She had her cellphone close to their face, meaning the woman must've been invested in something important before Zero Two's loud voice disturbed her. The surprising disruption made the woman turn her head towards them out of simple human curiosity. Unfortunately, Hiro's eyes accidentally made contact with the woman and this startled Hiro into quickly pretending to have never noticed her.

"I-It's not like that!"

"Oh? So, you admit it?" He could hear the smugness dripping to her mouth now because it was so heavy on her tongue.

"No! I mean... Yes, I was looking but not for that re–"

Uncontrollable giggles erupted from her which stunned Hiro into an immediate silence. She was laughing _._.. at him? She wasn't upset?

Just like before when he first met her on the rooftop and when she scared him at the park earlier, but instead of holding onto her stomach, Zero Two femininely raised a hand close to her mouth. He couldn't help but find that sight to be... A little endearing?

"You're so cute. You look as red as a tomato right now!" Her laughter continued in cute and soothing sets before she calmed down long enough to speak again.

"I'm just playing with you, Hiro. Feel free to look wherever you want."

With that said, she resumed to licking her ice cream at an incredibly hasty pace; her spoon already abandoned since it turned out to be unneeded after all.

Did she always eat like this, or was the ice cream that good? Hiro didn't think this in an ill way; just out of simple curiosity.

Once Zero Two reassured him that her reply had been only for her own amusement, the heat in his face started to subside and Hiro returned his eyes to the front view of the building across from them. It was the perfect balance between warm and chilly outside, making the weather more suitable to sit out in today than the previous.

The frost on the road and the parts of the city that was still buried in snow were beginning to melt albeit slowly. Perhaps it a few more weeks, there would be no signs of winter ever existing and the beginning of spring will finally enter upon.

Outside of the dessert shop, they sat on a bench meant for walkers like themselves, in the perfect position where the sun would beat down on the two of them. Hiro was dry—disregarding his hair that was still trying to air dry—and changed into his gym clothes. Zero Two, on the other hand, almost didn't care enough to change her ruined undergarments and uniform.

Not until he persisted that she also switch into her gym clothes to avoid coming down with a cold. Hiro was surprised that she listened to him so well, and even more surprised that Zero Two was not shivering with the ice cold snack she had in her grasp.

She was sort of amazing.

A comfortable silence fell between them in which the other continued to indulge in her sweet and Hiro became consumed in his thoughts. That was then when the boy recalled something important to him and once he found the courage to make his move, his eyes returned to the girl beside him.

"Oh, right. Is it alright if we... Exchanged phone numbers?"

She looked up from her ice cream which was nearly down to the cone now, her tongue running along her bottom lip to lick away the excess that'd formed there.

"Sure," Zero Two responded in a much more laid-back tone than he honestly expected out of her. It was as if he was only asking to borrow a pen of hers.

Without letting the cone out of her grip, she instead passed it on to the opposite hand so she could use her dominate one to fish her phone out of the pocket of her schoolbag. It slipped out with ease and with one swift move of her thumb, the screen instantly lit up. However, Hiro noticed that it was only just beginning to power on and it would take some time before she'd be able to pass on her contact number to him.

So the meantime, Hiro brought out his own phone from the inside of his bag and God was he thankful that he decided to put it there before he arrived here, or else it would be in a rather nonredeemable state right now.

Once both their devices were ready, they exchanged numbers with one another easily but before Hiro could claim the process as finished, another dilemma then occurred to him.

"Oh! What should I put down for your name?" Hiro asked in high hopes that she would answer him clearly this time.

However, she would not.

"Didn't I tell you yesterday?" she inquired sarcastically.

"Yes, but–"

"Just Zero Two is fine," she added quickly, stressing her point for a final time before she bit into her cone.

Judging by the tone of her voice, Hiro decided it was best to put the matter to rest here and just input the name he was grateful to get at all. Zero Two would have to do for now.

With her cone no longer in her hand, the girl stood up from the park bench with a stretch and a low grunt arising from her throat.

"Okay, Hiro. Where do you want to go now?" she asked, spinning around to him with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Actually... I should be heading home before my family gets too concerned. I caused them enough worry by returning home too late on Thursday."

A touch of sadness dropped in his tone as he admitted this to her, but Hiro tried to ignore the wave of disappointment that passed him by. He didn't understand why he felt that way either since they haven't been in each other's company for that long.

She evidently shared the same feelings as he did however if the way her shoulders sagged and how her smile suddenly vanished as if he just killed it was anything to go by.

"Oh," she replied in an equally disappointed tone. However, Zero Two was quick to change her attitude as if she didn't want him, or anyone to see that she was saddened by this revelation.

"That's fine, I guess."

She picked up her school bag and slung it over her shoulder, her phone already safely tucked inside of its compartment and her bright red scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. He stood with her too, his own bag also hanging over his shoulder.

"Before I leave, is there anything you wanted to tell me specifically?" Hiro asked, figuring there was more to her invitation than simply having someone to swim with. "I'm sure you told me to meet you here for another reason."

Her back was already turned to him, but Zero Two did spare him a look from over her shoulder. For a second, Hiro couldn't help but think her eyes looked sad. It was an unclear glimpse and it lasted for the briefest second ever, but the boy was certain that it'd been there before she turned her head back forward.

...Or maybe he imagined it.

"Oh, that? I was just in the mood for a swim after school," Zero Two said with a shrug of the shoulders, using her free hand to wrap the accessory around her neck tighter.

Genuinely, he was surprised by her answer. Was it really only that?

"Seriously?" he asked.

It was the most random invite he's ever gotten, but Hiro honestly couldn't say that he was upset at the other for dragging him out here without a reasonable purpose. In the end, spending time with her turned out to be the most fun he's had in the longest.

Today, his heart felt a lot lighter compared to this morning and he realized now how much of today has truly unwinded him. Because of this, Hiro selfishly wanted to see her again. It was why he asked for her contact information.

Then, he surprised himself. He laughed with a bit of his heart for the first time in forever.

Zero Two, who was taken aback by his reaction, ended up turning half of her body back around to him, eyes witnessing the boy's shell crack just by a fragment. She didn't understand what he was laughing at, or why, but as if the boy's happiness was contagious, Zero Two too broke out into a small and gentle smile.

"You're not laughing at me, are you?" she asked, half-jokingly. Hiro wouldn't be able to tell the difference though.

With a genuine smile still on his face, he was able to answer her.

"Sorry, sorry... It's not that at all. Just... Thank you for this, Zero Two. I had a good time."

The way her eyes widened told him that she hadn't expected him to do that and the fear that he might've overstepped a boundary he wasn't aware existed until this moment made him feel a little anxious. But then a soft look adorned Zero Two's features and this time as she got ready to part from him, he didn't catch a lingering hint of sadness in her eyes.

"I think I should be saying that to you..." she muttered lowly, shaking her head lightly but he didn't catch what her mumble.

Or rather, Hiro wasn't sure he heard it right from how low her voice had been. Regardless, he wouldn't understand it as of now.

"Well, this is goodbye again. See you around, Hiro."

Oh, that was right. They lived on opposite sides of the city. That disappointment nestled itself back inside his chest, but–

"Wait, Zero Two."

Her body didn't turn to him, but her foot did halt in its third step. Hiro took that as a sign to continue, "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

"...No, why?"

Hiro tried not to show how much that response of hers filled him with glee, but it futile as the nervous hastiness showed in his voice nonetheless.

"My family and I usually find time to go out on the weekend. We'll be heading to the theater this time and then grab something to eat afterward. There's a possibility that we'll stop at the arcade too because of Futoshi and Zorome."

The thought of them made Hiro chuckle even though Zero Two didn't know who those two characters were.

"It'll just be my brothers and sisters since our Papa works late, and we're all in high school."

"Hm... That sounds interesting enough," Zero Two spun around to him with a happy smile on her face, hands clasped behind her back again. "It's a date then!"

 _A... A..._

"A date?" Hiro could feel the warmth rising to the tips of his ears and right now, he didn't wish to see what his face looked like to her. It must've been hilarious however since she let out a long and endearing series of giggles, twirling around in one spot before proceeding to walk the opposite way.

"Bye-bye! Until tomorrow!"

It was like Zero Two to leave a big impression even as she was exiting a scene, leaving a still surprised Hiro standing in his spot. However, once he came to, warmth radiated in his chest and replaced the emptiness that'd formed when he realized they had to return to their own homes for tonight. Once the boy turned around to walk the opposite way, his heart couldn't be any more excited towards a Saturday than now.


	4. Confrontations (I)

Chapter 5 was initially supposed to be apart of this one as well, but in the process, I realized that this chapter was far too long. So, in order to make it less of a handful to get through, I've split this up into two separate chapters for you guys.

Please enjoy.

\- Michie

* * *

 **January 13, 2028**

 **4:00 PM**

The chatter of indistinct conversations surrounded him and filled his ears from people he was unfamiliar with, and those he wasn't. This hot spot was pretty busy for a Saturday night, so of course it was mildly crowded, but Hiro didn't pay those people any mind. His heart and mind could only focus on one thing tonight—one person who has managed to make his stomach twist into tight knots and cause Hiro to feel this nervous on a normal familial outing.

As a way of preventing his hands from continuing to fumble with each other, he shoved them into the pockets of his lightly colored hooded jacket. It was better than frequently looking between his phone for possibly missed notifications that weren't there and the front entrance of the cinema.

As of now, Hiro was seated with his siblings at a table as they all waited on the last person who was to join them on his chilly night. In the meantime, they conserved with each other, but Hiro didn't pay attention to the words that were leaving their mouths. He couldn't while he was this sidetracked, but Hiro assumed it was nothing out of the usual.

His ears could register Miku's high-pitched voice alongside Zorome's and Futoshi's slightly deeper ones pretty well. The three of them tended to be the liveliest amongst their bunch and he knew that if Miku was speaking, then she was most likely complaining about something that involved the two of them.

Currently, Hiro was correct since Miku was fussing at Futoshi for having already eaten half of his bucket of popcorn despite them not even seating themselves in the cinema yet. However, could he be blamed considering how unfortunately early Hiro made them hurry over here out of his own haste to see Zero Two?

At the time, he was paranoid that he'll force the girl into a situation where she was left waiting on them. However, in the end, his fears ended up as only that since they arrived before Zero Two was expected to come, but a tad too early.

They would've only _just_ arrived here had they followed their normal pace, but Hiro ended up dragging his siblings here an hour before the intended time for good measure. And now that an hour of them sitting inside the cinema's lobby has passed, they were down to only thirty minutes left before their movie was set to play. None of them appeared to be angry at him over this though.

In fact, his family was surprisingly equally as eager as he was to see the sudden guest he invited to their outing today. They showed their interest the most on the night before when he brought it up at the dinner table and before they left the house, but now that so much time has gone by, the excitement has died a little.

It didn't take much to pipe them back up though, so he wasn't the least bit concerned about how they'll greet Zero Two once she made it here.

Hiro wasn't sure why they were so interested in the first place either, but Mitsuru mentioned that it was because he never got this close to anyone anymore although that was calling the kettle black. If that was the true reason then he couldn't help but think that his siblings looked down on him too much, but at the same time, could he deny their claims?

It was for a certainty that he's never brought anyone along to their family outings before, so Hiro could understand their curiosity.

However, he _did_ have people he spoke to at school, he just never spoke to those said people outside of those hours. So, them looking forward to meeting Zero Two so much only added to his own eagerness to see her too.

Paranoia resurfaced in his head and warned him that Zero Two could've possibly passed the cinema already and it was his eyes that failed to catch her, but then he sensibly remembered that pink hair that was as blush and distinct as hers should be easy to spot out even in the largest crowd.

"What time did you give them?" Ichigo asked warmly while she approached him with a tender smile on her face, calmly taking a seat beside him. Her own hands were also taking comfort inside of the pockets of her black hoodie.

"Oh, 4:30. If she arrives on time, then she should be here soon."

Ichigo's eyes visibly perked up in surprise, " _She_?"

"Oh, yeah?" He hadn't thought much about her gender being of importance at the time. Therefore, he never once mentioned to his family that the person he was bringing over was, in fact, a female.

"Sorry, I guess I forgot to mention it before. She has a really fun aura though, so I think you and everyone else will like her quickly."

"I see..." Ichigo slowly nodded her head as she took in this information, trying to contain the amassing excitement that was beginning to fill her petite body. "I expected it to be another boy, but a girl is just as fine. So, you're finally becoming interested in girls, hm?"

She shot the taller boy a playful smile, showing that she was not necessarily mad at the other for his mistake and would rather tease him about it. After all, this was her little brother's first time hanging around a female that wasn't one of his sisters. It was as if they'd gone back to middle school where being teased for having a crush was taken as a larger thing than it actually was.

Only that Hiro wasn't genuinely infatuated with the girl he invited over today. Not romantically at the very least, but he did want to see her as nervously and impatiently as an ordinary person would want to see their crush. Yet it wasn't quite the same as that scenario, was it?

Despite his brain's reasoning, it didn't help prevent the streak of a faint red from splaying across his cheeks. A reaction that the other was inclined to notice.

"That's not it..." Hiro tried to tell her truthfully, but the current look on his face was betraying him at one of the worst times. Ichigo didn't press the matter however, but she did turn her head to the side so she could faintly giggle into her hand.

"Right, right. I get it. Well, hopefully she doesn't run late and has to miss any part of the movie, but that's the least of my worries considering we're the early birds this time."

"Aha. Sorry about that... I know I got a little carried away with this," Hiro said sincerely with a small and awkward laughter following the apology, his hand coming to rub the back of his neck out of instinct.

"Mm," Ichigo lightly shook her head with a soft smile still adorning her features, "It's no biggie. I was actually happy when I heard that you had a friend you wanted to invite with us. Learning that your rush this was morning was all for a girl puts a lot of things into perspective too."

Ichigo didn't fail to include this went her need to tease him over information he couldn't take back. Not that it'll matter much once Zero Two made her arrival and everyone would see for themselves that his guest didn't possess a male's body at all. Her teasing ahead of time still accomplished at making Hiro redder in the face however.

"I said–"

"Right, I know," Ichigo might've said, but Hiro could tell from her invasive tone that she didn't believe his words. Hiro didn't feel up to arguing to make his point though, or could it be that he didn't feel as if he had enough support for that argument in the first place?

A comfortable silence followed for several seconds then...

He heard a softly deflating sigh leave Ichigo's lips which drew his attention back to her. Hiro wasn't required to say anything in order for her to speak, because she did so on her own first.

"I've been worried about you a lot these past several months. Longer than that to be exact. It's because you're always alone, Hiro, so it's difficult to understand what you're thinking sometimes. ...Sometimes it feels as if..."

Her fingers curled against her lap, her balled up fist protecting the last words she wished to say to him but never shared.

"Nevermind that, I'm rambling again," the words lowly tumbled from her lips and they would've been nearly incoherent over the loudness of the busy area if it wasn't for the fact that they're sitting only centimeters apart right now.

Ichigo was quick to pick up her fallen head before he could come to ask her what was wrong. Ironically, this mirrored how she was a hypocrite to her own words by not letting others see inside her own head.

And like always, her voice quickly returned to its normal volume as if nothing more significant was on her mind.

"What I meant to say is that I'm happy that you've gotten this close to someone again, Hiro."

Hiro could hear the sincerity in her tone and it made the guilt he tossed aside yesterday return to the center of his chest, cutting at his guts like ice. He recalled then how right Goro was about the other. He should've come to Ichigo far earlier if she was always _this_ worried about him. Of course the boy knew she cared for him, but it didn't occur to him how deep her affections ran until now. He really had a lot to thank her and make up for.

"...Thanks, Ichigo. ...I think that I should also apologize for–"

"Mm," Ichigo shook her head again, but this time more quickly to prevent him from saying anything more. "Don't worry about it, it's fine. I shouldn't have said that much in the first place, we came out this far to have a good time."

"Oh... Alright th–"

Although it didn't matter much what he said after this, before Hiro could finish his sentence, his phone suddenly vibrated in his hand. This regained his attention quicker than it honestly should've, as he was already fishing it out of his pocket to look down at the screen that glared back at him.

His heart skipped a beat because in his hands was a message from the very person they've all been eagerly waiting for, letting him know that she was just around the corner and would meet them at the front of the lobby soon.

Never before had Hiro sprung up onto his own two feet so abruptly until now, the sudden movement taking even Ichigo aback since she was seated right beside him. In the process, he made the heads of his siblings turn towards him and look at him curiously. All but Zorome's who was last to notice the shift in attention while he was too busy picking on Futoshi.

Just as Zero Two stated in her message, Hiro spotted a pink head weaving through the crowd before it reached the front door, revealing the body it belonged to. Almost seconds after Zero Two entered the cinema, her emerald irises noticed his blithe ones and grew widely once they recognized him.

"Hiro!" she shouted without a care for the heads she drew in with her unbounded excitement. With a large and bright smile stretched across her face, the girl quickened the pace of her feet so she could scurry over to his group faster.

The first thing Hiro noticed was that she wasn't dressed in her school uniform, but of course, she wouldn't be, because this was a weekend and not a school day. She had every right to dress up in her casual clothes like they did. Her feet slowed down and stopped just in front of him, the closer view allowing him to sheepishly take in what she was wearing tonight.

"Zero Two..." Hiro greeted her happily as a small shade of crimson reappeared on his cheeks for the second time today.

She was not even wearing anything that would garner anyone's attention as Zero Two stood in normal denim jeans and a plain, long-sleeved shirt that was a light grey in color. Around her neck was that same bright red scarf, leading Hiro to believe that it must be a signature look to her fashion.

There was nothing special about these three things together, but it was Zero Two who could manage to make such casual articles of clothing look like it was worth so much more. Due to Hiro's very indiscreet ogling and their proximity, the other couldn't fail to notice where his eyes were at the moment.

"Hehe! Aren't you going to tell me how good I look?" she teased him with the same playful nature bursting from her like yesterday.

The smile on her face expanded into a wider grin, as Zero Two leaned forward just slightly with her arms femininely hidden behind her back. Her eyes looked across at him with hope and expectations sparkling in them.

"Oh, uh... Zero Two, you look... really nice," Hiro said rather stiffly as he scratched his cheek with one finger, his eyes evading her strong gaze that only made him feel more nervous than he initially felt while waiting for her.

His apparent awkwardness was so obvious that the other couldn't help it when another giggle ended up leaving her mouth, the other standing back up straight now.

"I was kidding, Hiro. You didn't really have to, but thank you!" Despite her own words, his compliment made her feel good nonetheless and that was evident by the way her happiness seemed to lighten her eyes more than before.

"Wait a minute! Your friend's a girl?!"

Zorome's jealous exclaim from behind them was the only thing that was able to bring Hiro back from his imaginary world where only he and Zero Two coexisted. All too quickly, he'd forgotten that his family was also by his side and was seeing every bit of their interaction.

When he turned back around to them, his eyes fell on his youngest brother who was rudely gaping and pointing at Zero Two as if she'd grown two heads. Of course, this didn't go without consequence.

"You idiot! Greet her properly!"

Miku yelled at Zorome for his obvious statement and rewarded him with a hard bonk on the head with her fist.

"Ouch!"

This was how they normally interacted with each other, therefore Hiro was accustomed to the behavior they displayed even in public. However, with someone here who did not know the little quirks of his family members, Hiro couldn't help but let out an uncertain chuckle.

His family could be a little embarrassing sometime, but Hiro still loved them nonetheless. He could only hope that Zero Two would come to do the same by the end of this hangout.

"Oh, right. Guys, this is..." Hiro started but found himself unable to complete his sentence when a second thought hit him. An important one.

How should he greet her? She's yet to give him her real name, so this put him at a loss over who to introduce her to his family as. Picking up on visible signs of Hiro's struggle, Zero Two was able to finish the introduction for him.

"...I'm fine with Zero Two," she said monotonously.

The way her face fell so quickly unnerved Hiro, leading him to wonder if she already received the wrong impression of his family? He hoped to clear up any misunderstandings between them with this get-together and was leaning on the belief that Zero Two will eventually warm up to them.

Perplexity washed over their faces for a second because the name that was just given to them wasn't exactly common. Hiro would be lying if he were to say that he didn't expect this to happen either.

"What kind of nickname is that?" The outburst came from Zorome, who was not much later trapped in a headlock by Miku; the sounds of his protests filling their area.

A low sigh from a seated Ikuno was heard, openly disproving of the behavior her youngest siblings were exhibiting at this moment.

"I think it's a cool name," Futoshi inserted while munching on the last remains of his popcorn, no taking a break to swallow his snack first. "It sounds like a powerful video game fighter."

"A fighter?" Zero Two pipped up with a surprised look on her face that soon transitioned into a thoughtful one, contemplating seriously on what was just said to her.

"I apologize for them. Try not to take it seriously, Zero Two. They're just–"

Ikuno tried to step in as she glanced up from the thick novel in her hand. One of many that the girl owned and has been indulging in the entire time they've been waiting for the other to make her presence. However, that said girl did not seem insistent on hearing Ikuno's words to the end.

"No, I think that's awesome," Zero Two suddenly interjected with a quick shake of her head, her eyes holding a new shine to them as they locked with Futoshi's. The cold aura that was concisely there was already beginning to thaw out.

Her approval of the very odd compliment shocked Ikuno who had been convinced that Zero Two would find offense in Futoshi and Zorome's words. However, seeing that the three of them had something to bond over, she quickly gave it a rest and returned her eyes to the print in her book.

It went without saying how much Zorome and Futoshi loved video games seeing that they were in a club made for that exact purpose. Miku even indulged in it with them sometimes.

"Zero Two, I'll introduce you to my sisters and brothers now."

With a slightly raised hand, he started from his nearest left and also who happened to be the oldest in the group. Hiro began with Goro and ended with Ichigo, who happened to be the tiniest out of them all, but still very much a year older than him despite her petite appearance.

"...And lastly, Ichigo. She's the student council president and Goro is the vice president, if you remember what I told you before?"

"Wow. You spoke about us that much?" Goro asked with a casual smile on his face that caused Hiro to feel a bit embarrassed about it.

"Well..." He said as he looked away from the other, "Just a little."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Goro told him sincerely before he turned his attention back on the new addition to their group. "It's nice to meet you, Zero Two."

The same could be said for the rest of the group who welcomed her in their own way minus Ichigo who stayed strangely quiet. Right around now she definitely would've said something since she was not a person who lacked manners and Ichigo tended to take charge when they went out as groups.

When Hiro's eyes looked down at her for an answer to her unusual silence, he couldn't help but notice the way Ichigo tried to keep her expression straight, but failed to do so because her furrowed brows gave away her irritation way too obviously.

Her glare was directed at Zero Two and likewise for the other only that she didn't seem irritated, but bored and unimpressed by the daggers Ichigo was sending her way. He knew that his siblings didn't know Zero Two very well yet and neither did he, but he didn't understand the sudden tension that was happening here.

Before anyone else besides him could notice however, Ichigo looked away from the girl with that peeved look never leaving her face. Zero Two was completely indifferent, as she was now looking up at the movie showings on the board as if they'd never entered the intense staring contest with one another. Hiro wasn't an idiot.

He could tell that something was wrong between them to the point that his sister was upset, but what did Zero Two think?

When the girl felt Hiro's gaze on her, their eyes naturally met and the light returned to her face so quickly that he wouldn't have ever thought it fell for a second had he not witnessed it.

"Hiro, I want to get some sweets before the movie starts. Come get in line with me!"

Zero Two didn't wait for his answer and instead took him by the hand, pulling him over to the concession stand where a long line that has already formed. Hiro didn't try to resist her either, only apologetically looking back at his family. At the very least, he managed to get the word out that they'll meet them inside the cinema before she pulled him further away from earshot with the rest.

"...Goro says they'll be waiting for us in the eighth row," Hiro informed her after checking his phone for the message and slipping it back into his pocket.

Beside him, Zero Two eagerly hummed a tune he didn't recognize and jumped up and down on the tips of her toes, eying the candy on display just behind the glass.

Right now she couldn't appear any more like an excited kid to him, but Hiro thought that little charm of hers was what made her special. A lot of the other girls he ever comes across at their school didn't behave like this, or at least they didn't in the eyes of others. To him, Zero Two seemed completely comfortable in her own skin.

When they finally reached to the front of the line, Zero Two made an order of at least six different boxes of candy and soda to accompany the already sugary flavors that would soon be consumed by her.

There wasn't a single mention of popcorn as customary meaning that Hiro could only foresee the other getting herself into a sugar high for the rest of the night, causing him to shake his head disapprovingly.

Still, it was apparent to him how much Zero Two loved sweets now and the treat that he bought her yesterday was the first supporting fact to that conclusion. Zero Two slide a thick wad of cash onto the counter—that was perhaps more than it actually cost since she didn't stop to count the money—and then brought the boxes of candies into her arms to cradle into the dark cinema.

Hiro didn't think it was so bad that she was like this.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The movie had consisted of action all the way through seeing that it was the easiest genre they all could agree on. Any other genre was a no-go because that was when all of their different opinions would weigh in and make it harder to come to a mutual agreement.

Most of them are terrified of horror movies, Hiro even hated to admit that he was apart of the select few who couldn't handle jump scares. He could rest easier not having to feel his heart nearly pop out of his chest from every scene all while fearing the next scare they'll likely include.

Zorome complained that romance was too cheesy, but they seemed to make the girls the happiest. Mitsuru seemed to have the same initial reaction towards any movie they suggested or went to see, but although his facial expressions didn't give away much, Hiro could always tell when he enjoys a movie because he critiques it with an "okay" rather than an outright "that was a complete waste of money".

Action, however, got all of them pumped up and on the edge of their seats. Those sort of movies never failed to make them leave the cinema feeling highly energized which would later be good fuel for the arcade.

Zero Two had sat on the end beside him since those were the only available seats left on the eighth row at the time. Hiro didn't complain and neither did she, probably too immersed in the film to truly care who she sat beside. Whenever Hiro's eyes would venture over to her out of curiosity—perhaps more times that needed—Zero Two's eyes were always glued to the screen.

It'd been clear to see how much the girl enjoyed the film too and that left him feeling even more satisfied than usual.

"That was really fun! When will you see a movie again?" she exclaimed joyously, only clarifying his judgment over how she took the movie.

"Well... It depends. Sometimes we don't always come to the cinema, but if there's another movie that we all want to see, we'll definitely come back here. ...Should I invite you next time too?" Hiro asked, thinking he understood well where she was going with this question. She proved him right by responding to him with an eager nod and a sweet smile on her face.

"I'll keep my phone on more often then, so feel free to contact me at any time," Zero Two told him with her hands clasped behind her back; a little and slightly adorable habit Hiro was beginning to notice she has.

"Alright," Hiro had the last word in that arrangement, his easy acceptance seeming to have made the other happier—Thus making him happier as well.

"Oh, right. So, where to now?" Zero Two questioned without Hiro noticing that her attention was directly focused on him rather than anyone else in their circle.

Because once again Zero Two was the only one who existed in his world, only until a third voice reminded him that this was only his brain's illusion.

"Katsu Burger. We eat there all of the time. Surely you've been there before. Right, Zero Two? It's pretty a popular place."

"Katsu? I've never heard of it."

Miku's eyes alongside Futoshi and Zorome's bulged out at her in shock, as if unable to believe what they were hearing.

"Seriously? You've never been there with your friends?" Miku questioned her, surprised to hear that there was someone on this Earth who hasn't been to Katsu Burger before. It was the busiest and biggest burger joint in town.

Zero Two only shook her head with a straight face, unable to see the issue in anything she said. What was the problem if she's never been to a good restaurant before?

Realistically, it wasn't a big deal. However, to a young freshman who cared about being apart of all the popular things during her youth, it meant a lot more.

"Hmm... Is this place really that good?" Zero Two inquired, her curiosity piqued now seeing the reaction Miku just had. Now she wanted to experience something that appeared to be so much fun to others.

"Are you kidding? Their burgers are amazing! Tell her, Futoshi!" Zorome enthusiastically bragged while gently hitting Futoshi on his side with the back of his hand.

"Hm, hm!" Futoshi nodded just as passionately, a gleam occurring in his eyes that all of them knew happened whenever he spoke about the thing he loved most: Food.

"Their meat is cooked just right; maintaining its deliciousness and juiciness perfectly. And they have a nearly hundred toppings you can choose from!"

Without a doubt, he was exaggerating but to Futoshi, it was worth the praise when he was referring to one of his favorite burger joints that existed.

Naomi and Kokoro looked over at one another with a knowing look before they erupted into soft, controlled giggles. Without needing to use words to communicate, it was apparent that they were giggling at their brother for already acting so silly towards the additional member to their pact.

And accompanying his silliness, there was Zorome who enthusiastically nodded in agreement to all of Futoshi's words with a smug smile on his face. "That's right."

"Hmm..." Zero Two looked away from the two boys to return her attention back to Hiro, the corners of her lips only lifting into a smile when her eyes were on him. "I want to try one. I haven't had a burger in forever."

"Sure," Hiro responded to her with a pleasant smile on his face and a small nod of the head.

How Zero Two still had any room for more after finishing every box of candy she ordered and the large cup of soda to accompany it was beyond him. However, he wouldn't be the person to tell her not to indulge in something she wants when Zero Two came all the way out here to do the same things they intended to tonight.

A gasp from Futoshi was heard when Zero Two's comment about not having had a burger in forever reached his ears. To him, that was equivalent to a crime and as he went into a mild fuss over it, Hiro wanted to remind him that not everyone had the same taste as he.

However, Hiro was put back into a silence as when he gauged Zero Two's reaction. Despite the fun she acclaimed she had while seeing the film, Zero Two still looked out of place with them even though they were supposed to be all one large group.

If Hiro wasn't wrong at reading her however, it didn't seem as if she didn't want to engage in them. Zero Two just didn't know how to yet.

It made reasonable sense to him that she was most likely still not completely comfortable around people she wasn't familiar with yet, but Hiro wanted that would change by the end of the night and to see her having an enjoyable time with all of them.

Hiro could only hope.

* * *

 **January 13, 2028**

 **7:20 PM**

The restaurant was brimming with business and lively faces given the fact that tonight was the first day of the weekend where most people were truly free. Either from the headaches of school or their job, if only for a day.

Tonight they could do as much and eat as much as they want without any worries of having enough rest for the upcoming day. Hiro wasn't a large eater by any means nor did he like to experiment with different toppings like Futoshi did. He was a lot more simple than that and preferred to stick with the same order every time, as well as most of them did.

They were all in the same line with Goro and Ichigo leading the front and him and Zero Two in the far back. In front of them, there were faces he didn't know, people with their own lives who also waited to place their order before them. Hiro wasn't in a rush to get something in his stomach so the wait was more than fine with him.

But what about Zero Two?

"You haven't been here before, so you should take this chance to look over the menu," Hiro suggested to her.

It was actually convenient that they wounded up in the back since it meant more time for Zero Two to decide on what she wants. He didn't know that her mind has already been made even before they stepped into the restaurant, however.

"No need. I'll just order whatever you order," she was bold enough to say without a hint of shame. Her resolution genuinely wasn't something Hiro had been expecting, so a bashful look took over his features.

Order whatever he did?

"I don't get anything special. Just a regular cheeseburger and fries. Besides, there's nothing sugary about those. You like sweet things, right?" Hiro thought it would be better if Zero Two included something she liked instead of risking disliking her entire a meal because she made the mistake of entrusting him with her appetite.

For the first time since they entered the restaurant, her eyes looked up to take in the listings that were on the large menu behind the cashiers' heads. It only took a couple of seconds for the girl to make her final decision.

"Then, I'll get it with a large strawberry milkshake," Zero Two declared to him and this time, Hiro felt a bit more relieved than a second ago.

Surely, the girl wouldn't decide on something she thought she wouldn't like though, right?

The line moved further up a couple of minutes at a time until they finally made it to the front to make their orders. The rest of his siblings who already had their meals were now occupying two booths. Mitsuru was seated next to Kokoro who sat across from Zorome and Miku. In the booth behind them, Naomi and Ichigo sat beside each other with Futoshi and Goro across from them.

That meant he and Zero Two would take the booth that Ikuno occupied alone, most likely waiting for them to come to join her. Once the two retrieved their trays full of warm, freshly made food, they carried them towards the spot that Goro waved them over to.

Hiro slid into the vacant booth and placed his food down on the table once he was in. He expected Zero Two to want to sit beside someone who was the same gender as she, but it came as a pleasant surprise when she instead sat with him on his side of the booth, an eager smile laying on her face.

She didn't do anything to hide how much she was longing to eat her food by how quickly she picked the burger up with her two hands, taking a rather large first bite into it. Hiro only chuckled at the girl who behaved more as if she was discovering burgers for the very first time rather than simply revisiting them.

Without any means of restraint, the other let out a clear and long, satisfied moan which caused Hiro to shift his legs in his seat awkwardly. Humbly, tried to focus his attention on praying for his own meal before he would indulge in it and not the moaning girl right beside him. Zero Two never stopped melting over her food to notice his reaction.

When his silent prayer was finished, Hiro opened his eyes and looked across to where Ikuno was seated. With one hand, she picked up fries from her tray and in the other held open her book that looked halfway finished now. Although it seemed as if Ikuno was choosing to ignore their presence, Hiro didn't take it to heart because he was aware that Ikuno reading was something she also did for comfort than just genuine interest.

He also knew that it was best to let her be when she was deeply into a book.

"It's so good. Why didn't I have one sooner?" He heard from beside him which caused him to look to his side.

Because of the yet to be fully chewed up meat and other substances in her mouth, Zero Two's words were slightly muffled as she spoke. He thought that her lack of table manners was oddly cute however and once he remembered that she was a year older than him, her childishness became even more innocent in his eyes.

Like a virus, Hiro could feel her happiness transferring over to him only by looking at her. He wouldn't have ever registered the smile that was subconsciously and lovingly looking back at her right now.

"I'm glad," Hiro told her sincerely with a nod of the head before starting on his own food.

His eyes looked over to his siblings who were well immersed in their own conversations now from what he could tell. All except Ichigo who still had a sour look on her face despite Futoshi talking so animatedly to them and Naomi humoring him with her own inputs and laughter. Hiro wondered if he's done something wrong to her?

"Wow."

His focus was torn away from Ichigo when his table partner's soft and much closer voice reached his ears. He turned his head back around to her, eyes curiously trying to see what she said the phrase for but understood immediately upon seeing the strawberry milkshake in her hands, and her red lips wrapped around the straw that was the same nearly shade.

"It could be a tad sweeter, but the shake isn't bad at all either. I like it."

Upon hearing her personal critique, Hiro couldn't help but smile widely at her. It seemed to be very Zero Two to say something that was already naturally sweet needed to be even sweeter. What was her taste buds' threshold, he wondered?

"Here. Try some."

Taken aback by her suggestion, Hiro only blinked at her questionably as his eyes blankly looked between her and the milkshake she slid closer to his side of the table. After a few seconds had passed of Hiro remaining frozen up and not partaking in her suggestion, Zero Two let out a small huff.

"Sheesh, you're so hopeless," she expressed but more in a dotting way rather than an insulting way since the smile that sprung up on her face afterward reminded him of her odd affection towards him.

And then she surprised him even more.

"Here, say _'ahh,'_ " Zero Two instructed him as she rose her glass up, one hand wrapped around the base and the other supporting the bottom of it.

As she pushed it closer to his face, the straw nearly touched the brim of his lips. Across from him, Ikuno was looking up from her book to witness the sight unfolding right in front of her. Naomi and Ichigo had even turned their heads once they noticed that Goro and Futoshi looked bewildered by something happening right behind them.

Hiro was too concentrated on Zero Two, however, who was wishing to feed him, that he couldn't acknowledge the additional pairs of eyes he felt on him.

He never saw how quickly Ichigo turned her head away from the sight of them, or how she gritted her teeth together in frustration. Nor did he see Ichigo hang her head low enough until her bangs covered her eyes. Naomi and Goro were done looking at Zero Two and him just that quickly as well, instead choosing to focus on their silent concern for Ichigo.

Then there was Zero Two who was either oblivious to the entire situation or just didn't care for the attention she was reeling in at all. She only patiently waited for Hiro's mouth to open for her.

And so it did.

After only two seconds of hesitation, Hiro nodded his head and opened his mouth for her, saying _"ahh"_ as told. He then clamped his mouth down on her straw; the same place her lips were just on, an intimate feat that he did his best not to dwell on.

He sucked the strawberry whisked milk up into his mouth, instantly able to see why Zero Two praised it the way she did. Although, it's sweetness level was definitely just fine as it was. Distracted by the taste now, he didn't notice what seemed like the hardest part had actually been quite harmless. As he swallowed every bit, Hiro's mind moved on to speak about the food.

"Wow, you're right. It is pretty good, Zero Two."

"See?" Zero Two then cheesed so hard that her eyes smiled with her, clearly happy with his similar opinion. Or was it that she was happy that he drank from the same glass as she?

The girl took her milkshake back only to take her own sip from it now and this time for a bit longer. Then, she passed it back to him as a silent offer to Hiro to have some more.

Hiro couldn't deny the other so he nonchalantly took another sip and this time more comfortably, forgetting about his family who remained as witnesses to the couple-like actions they were displaying.

The shake just sat in the middle of them now as the duo remembered to return to the food on their trays. Ikuno had silently already returned to the contents in her novel by that time, continuing off from the rising action that was getting more interesting in the story she was reading.

Zero Two's curiosity didn't end with the milkshake because she was soon reaching over for his tray, picking up one of his fries without asking. "Yours seem thicker than mine," she complained, analyzing the seasoned fry in her hand before she took a bite of what was supposed to be his. He didn't mind though.

"They're the same size, Zero Two," Hiro told her while laughing lightly, eyes gazing over at her own box of fries to look for the huge difference there was with hers in comparison to his, but was unable to notice any. They were all made the same after all.

"...Ichigo?" He heard Naomi's voice, the apparent concern in it causing Hiro to look away from Zero Two and forward at the blue-headed female who had suddenly stood up from her seat. Zero Two's attention also drifted towards the scene, perhaps curious about what was happening all of a sudden.

Futoshi's and Goro's eyes were trained on the girl who were both confused by Ichigo's action, Hiro not needing to see the look on Naomi's face to get an idea of what expression she was making right now. Mitsuru's and Zorome's table was also looking over at Goro's and Naomi's now.

"I'm fine! Just taking a restroom break," Ichigo reassured all three that were at her own table, breaking out a forced smile that none of them were foolish enough to be fooled by. However, nobody wanted to say a thing.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Naomi asked, trying her best to be the other's shoulder to lay on while she was showing signs of being down. Her hopes, however, were immediately shot down by the girl herself who only sought solitude.

"I'll be quick. It's just the restroom, Naomi," Ichigo told her before sliding out of the booth and quickly disappearing into the direction she knew the restaurant's restrooms were.

Zero Two had already returned to her meal, greedily stuffing her face with more fries than her mouth was probably willing to fit. Some of those fries were definitely not her own, but Hiro was no longer focused enough on her to tell. Thoughts of Ichigo resurfaced in his mind instead and while he tried to come up with answers for his sister's odd behavior tonight, the other half of him wanted to dismiss it as one of those "girl matters" that he couldn't understand as a boy.

If that was the case, then it was probably better to leave her alone. Naomi would surely be able to do more for her than he could, right?

For a few seconds, his eyes lingered over the place he last saw Ichigo's back before he returned to facing forward, hand reaching down for a fry. When his fingers only latched onto air, Hiro had to look down to see the decreased amount of fries on his tray. He was fairly certain of the culprit, but didn't accuse her of her obvious theft since Hiro didn't care. After all, he took a sip from her milkshake, so it was only fair for her to take something of his in return.

Hiro disregarded the fact that it was Zero Two who persuaded him into drinking from her glass in the first place.

All the boy could do now was eat what was left of his meal, but before his thoughts could fritter away to someplace else as they usually did, Zero Two kept him distracted with her own enthusiasm. They chatted about a few things and he learned that her favorite colors are orange and yellow, and that honey was indeed her favorite sugary ingredient.

For whatever reason that was, it also sounded as if she had strict guardians since Zero Two revealed to him that she wasn't advised to leave her home too much.

He believed that just meant they really cared about her much to the distaste she spoke about the subject with. Several minutes later, her plate was completely empty and the girl was seen slurping the last of her milkshake.

Her phone then vibrated in the back pocket of her pants which the girl only took out once the fourth reverberation came. Clicking her tongue against her front teeth in annoyance, the girl checked her screen for merely two seconds before it went right back to where it'd been before.

Hiro couldn't guess who the incoming notification was from, but could tell by the other's displeasure it wasn't someone she wished to interact with at this time.

"I have to go to the restroom. I'll be right back, 'kay?" Zero Two informed him which he nodded his head in response to.

He wasn't surprised that she had to go make a trip with how quickly she consumed everything. A sweet, strawberry fragrance lingered in the air from where she stood up and left the table which Hiro was certain came from Zero Two. As the welcoming smell flooded Hiro's senses, he recalled one thing.

Ichigo has been in the restroom for a long time, hasn't she?

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The restroom door opened silently as Zero Two stepped inside. Upon entrance, she could tell that it was empty due to the lack of noise throughout the room. All except for one soul.

Just as she was entering the room, she was forced to take a stop in her steps when a smaller girl who also happened to be exiting the room nearly walked into her.

The blue hair was too discernible for Zero Two not to immediately identify the person whom she had the misfortune of bumping into like this. Standing in front of her like this made it even clearer how vast the height difference between them actually was since Ichigo's head only made it to her chest.

However, this wasn't the first time Zero Two has ever been given the opportunity to recall this fact. Humorously, she thought to herself that she could've easily trampled the other had she been less careful.

But that was just a slight exaggeration on Zero Two's part. Having no interesting in apologizing to the other or even interacting with her altogether, she sidestepped the other and intended to walk around Ichigo, so she could continue with her business.

But then...

"Wait."

A hand suddenly reached out to her and grabbed the middle of her arm, causing Zero Two to instinctively tense up. Her foot never took another step, but only so she could turn her head slightly to the side and look back at the other from over her shoulder. She was only curious in why she stopped her for no apparent reason.

No, that wasn't quite it. She knew that the faster she gave Ichigo what she wanted, the quicker she'll piss off.

"What?" Zero Two asked in a clearly disinterested tone that the other didn't fail to pick up on. However, it was a tone she was accustomed to receiving all of the time since most people weren't too pleased about a student president scolding them. Their roles hardly changed off school grounds.

Zero Two honestly did not feel up to dealing with Ichigo right now. Whenever they crossed paths it always ended with the girl finding some way to tick her off, and she was here to have fun with her dar... Hiro.

"I don't like the fact that you're hanging around Hiro now. You can be a juvenile with any of the others that are your kind, but not Hiro. He's far better than you."

Ichigo's words caused Zero Two's jaw to clamp tightly, a scowl forming on her face as her eyes hardened with a deep fire flaring in them. Quickly, she snatched her arm out of the other's grasp; something that was done easily since Ichigo had a rather weak hold on her in the first place.

The nerve this girl had to talk to her this way!

"That's my kind? Hiro's the one who invited me here. You should let him do what he wants to instead of trying to tie him down like you're his mother."

She didn't have time for this. No longer did Zero Two have to use the restroom, but she also didn't want to have to exit from the same place as Ichigo, so she took another step forward to continue further in the restroom. Maybe she'll linger here for a bit and clear her head before she returned to Hiro.

Of course though, just like all of the past times this frustrating girl has ridiculed her at school, Ichigo couldn't seem to let anything go. She spoke too much, too confidently for someone who knew absolutely nothing about her.

Zero Two hated people who made false assumptions about her, but at least Ichigo wasn't trying to go through the pitiful hassle of pretending to like her only to get something out of her. Those kinds of people she despised the most, so she'd prefer Ichigo to stay honest like this even though it didn't make Zero Two dislike her any less.

"I'm just trying to do what's best for him! Hiro... Hiro's been through a lot. If you only plan to stick around temporarily and then drop him once you get bored, I suggest you separate yourself from him now before he gets attached to you. Hiro doesn't deserve that," Ichigo continued despite Zero Two's disinterest to hear more.

A part of Zero Two understood where she was coming from, but the other part who was annoyed that she would even imply that she'd do these things to the boy in the first place screamed louder in her head. The disdain took over her body and rose from her stomach to her throat, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

"What Hiro and I do, and what we are to each other, isn't anyone's business." She didn't feel the need to say anything more than that.

No, that wasn't quite it either. Zero Two had _plenty_ she wanted to say to this annoying girl, but she managed to keep her anger controlled by instead sending her irritation into her clenched fist, ignoring the small sting of her slightly long nails digging into the skin on her palm.

This was her only time to be in Hiro's company, so she won't stand for anyone who tries to get in the way of that.

"It is if I think there's someone out to hurt him," Ichigo spat back, not one to back down from an argument she felt right about. "Look. I don't know what you showed him, but Hiro could never genuinely like the true you. Once you end up leaving him, he'll come to hate you too. Not that you'll care anyway though, right?"

Even after seconds passed since the moment Ichigo parted from her, those words that'd horribly stung still staggered in her head longer than Zero Two should've allowed them to. For the first time, out of all the numerous arguments they've had, has something the other girl said to her held some power over her.

A queasiness then took over her that caused Zero Two to habitually place a hand over her stomach, clutching it as she made her way into the nearest stall. Even as she emptied everything that'd risen from her stomach to her throat, she didn't flinch a bit from the discomfort.

It didn't compare to the amount she was feeling in her chest.


	5. Confrontations (II)

**January 13, 2028**

 **8:14 PM**

When Zero Two returned to him, Hiro didn't fail to notice the shift in her aura. Before she'd been so lively; the sun that extended its rays even on a dark night. But now, ever since she went to the bathroom for what couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes, Hiro could tell how strangely quiet she's become. What happened while she was in there?

At that moment, he recalled how Ichigo came out around the same time Zero Two went in. Did something fall apart between them both? If it did, then Hiro didn't even know how to begin to ask her something like that. He also didn't want to wrongly accuse his sister of being the cause of something she could most likely not even be involved in.

Because Zero Two usually carried the conversation and initiated every physical contact between them, it was very awkward now that she was barely acknowledging him. Hiro didn't realize how much he was relying on Zero Two to keep their newly formed friendship intact until now. He couldn't just stand here and watch the other walk around, trapped in her own mind though.

It was too unusual from the girl he saw two days before.

Hiro wasn't that much of a coward that he couldn't ask her if everything was okay, but he was definitely enough that he didn't press the matter when Zero Two claimed she was just feeling a little bored. He felt compelled to believe her, but who was the boy kidding if he genuinely thought he was content thinking that was the only case here? Hiro didn't want to overthink the matter, however.

 _Why_ she was like this wasn't the main question here. It was _how_ Hiro would be able to make her smile again.

Back then, he could only quietly watch the other as she blankly looked out the window, unsure of the thoughts that were swimming around in her mind. When their group meal ended, Hiro was thinking that the arcade was a place that would surely raise her spirits again since it almost always managed to do the same for him.

As usual, the group separated to partake in the games they wanted to with Miku and Zorome running up to their favorite zombie shooting game, his brother bickering about finally beating the other's high score along the way. Futoshi only smiled as he stood in between them as a witness to the battle that was about to unfold, waiting for his turn to go against Zorome and bring up his low score from last time.

Ikuno didn't particularly care for the arcade due to its noisiness as she preferred quieter places. With that said, she always found a table to sit at and pull a book out to read, unless Miku came over and forced her to participate in a two-player game with her. That happened every now and then, but a lot more frequently these days. Even Mitsuru liked to play some games as well which was slightly surprising since he pretended to be disinterested in most things. Hiro thought that was likely due to his competitive nature since it gave Mitsuru something to brag about later when he outdid the others at a certain game.

Right now he and Kokoro were playing a race car game, something the both of them have gradually gotten better at. Naomi and Goro usually found things to do as well and Ichigo was always trying to win a stuffed animal from the claw machine, or turn in her tickets for a prize. However, he noticed today that she wasn't immediately engaging in on any fun. Ichigo went to sit down with Ikuno at the table instead, and Goro and Naomi were slowly separating from Ichigo in a mission to find something to do without her.

He could tell that something must still be upsetting her. Perhaps there's a possibility the fact that she's sick since she spent so much time in the restroom back there? It was very like Ichigo to put on a front for their sakes. One person he cared for being upset was one thing he couldn't stand, but two of them at the same time was concerning. He could only focus on one at a time however since he was still only one person, so Hiro's eyes naturally drifted to the person who was several steps ahead of him now.

Not because she was too fast for him however. Zero Two was walking around slowly but without a purpose it seemed, not looking very interested in the fun games she passed up since she never took the time to look at them in the first place. Whatever could be upsetting her to this point, it didn't make him feel good at all to see her like this.

Hiro knew he couldn't leave her alone without even trying first.

"Zero Two, look! Let's play this," he sprung up, halting in his steps in hopes that she'll do the same. With his finger pointed at a two-player dance game, he looked at the back of her head expectantly.

When Zero Two lifted her gaze up from the floor and turned her head around to him, Hiro felt a glimmer of hope. He watched as her seemingly wistful eyes looked over the game on display once, analyzing the neon lights that would flash automatically from the dance plates, and the still image of a boy and girl dancing on both sides of the machine. Anyone could have a very large idea of what this specific game required them to do. The question now was if Zero Two up for it?

For a moment, it really seemed as if Zero Two was tempted to accept his invitation, but then she turned around and continued to walk ahead. A defeated sigh escaped Hiro's parted lips.

When she stopped in her footsteps and turned around again, it was when she realized that Hiro was no longer following her. An emotion—perhaps realization?—then hit her eyes that the boy couldn't decipher, but all of a sudden, a small smile that he already missed returned to her face. It didn't have the same sense of comfort as her old smile since this one seemed apologetic more than anything, but it was progress and Hiro will take it.

"I've been acting weird, haven't? Sorry, ...Hiro."

With a sudden change of heart, Zero Two turned back around and walked up to him. She then took his hand into her own and dragged Hiro over to the machine he picked out for them, taking two coins out of her pocket and sticking them into the slot for both participants. Each of them were given a bunch of coins to fully indulge in for only a small price, but this was their first time making any use of them ever since they stepped inside.

When she released his hand, the space between them returned but this time it was by the minimum and logical considering they couldn't continue to hold hands if they were about to dance. Not that Hiro wanted to continue to hold hand her though, of course.

"What song do you want to dance to?" she asked, emerald eyes looking away from the bright menu screen before them that she didn't feel obligated enough to care for.

"You choose," Hiro passed the baton over to her, thinking it would be better if she had the option to perform to something she liked.

After all, this was his personal mission to help cheer her up.

"Hm? Alright..."

Zero Two looked back in front of her now, eyes thoroughly scanning the titles as she used the down arrow on the touch screen to flip through them all. So far, nearly all of them were misses since the song options didn't fit her preference, but then the girl came to one that caused her to gasp softly.

"Hiro, I'll do this one," she told him which was returned with a nod from Hiro, the last thing reassurance she needed that it was okay to select. The game enthusiastically highlighted her selection as Zero Two pulled back and stood up straight with the colors slowly returning to her face, not appearing as sullen anymore.

In her place, the girl even hopped a little to get herself warmed up for the upcoming exercise.

"Hehe, don't cry if I end up outperforming than you. I'll warn you I'm a master at games and I'm very good on my feet!" Zero Two boasted proudly as her hands came to her hips, posing triumphantly.

Hiro laughed softly as he stretched out his fingers and legs as his own little warm up, before readily placing his feet on top of the colored pads beneath him. "You're on then."

Perhaps he should've known he would come to eat his words however. Immediately after the first round, he was already out of breath and could feel his heart accelerating in his chest from the first actual workout its had in forever. He was clearly out of touch, only managing to tap most of the arrows with his foot in the near beginning. At first, it started out smoothly for him, but progressively as the rhythm picked up, so did the pace of the tune which was the very thing that resigned Hiro to his unfortunate fate.

Meanwhile, Zero Two successfully hit every arrow and didn't miss a single beat, and while she was destroying him, the girl wore a large and pumped up smile on her face. She was a pro at this, far better than what Hiro expected! But if this was the thing he needed to do to keep that blessed expression on Zero Two's face, then he was completely comfortable with losing tremendously to her. Tremendous as the gap between his severely low score and hers. How did she have so much energy?

"Is that all you've got? Go ahead and stick another coin in. I won't feel satisfied until you give it your all!" Zero Two encouraged him, not even panting hard like he was which made Hiro feel a lot more ashamed of the state he was in.

He couldn't let it end like this. After all, it was better to make full use of all the coins he received. Determination set forth through Hiro again as he straightened himself back up, hands moving away from his knees that he was previously using to support his weight. While Zero Two selected the second song for them to perform to, Hiro mentally prepared himself for the next challenge.

However, that was all for naught when he came out in second place once again. He's either gotten awfully rusty at Dance Dance Revolution, or she was truly better on her feet than he was. She hadn't lied when she boasted so proudly about how great her skills are. At least this time Hiro's score had been closer to hers, not falling too behind from her that it was enough to humiliate him for the second time. Although in the end, the boy thinks he still won upon seeing the light finally return to Zero Two's eyes.

If losing some arcade game was all he needed to sacrifice to make that happen, then he was more than happy to lose his dignity here.

"C'mon, I'm not tired yet! Let's keep going," Zero Two suggested, clearly still very energized. As he exhaustively watched her flip through the menu without waiting for his reply, Hiro wondered if her energy even had a limit? He didn't want to disappoint her lest he see that awful despondent look return to her face, so he generously complied and pushed on.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he pushed himself to his limits too.

Eventually, Zero Two grew bored of the dance machine—or perhaps being the only one who came out on top each time—and took him by the hand, dragging him over to game-to-game. Hiro was happy to do so too since playing with Zero Two made him feel as if he were experiencing these games for the very first time. The girl was extremely cut out for these things since she racked up a lot more tickets than he's seen others ever accomplish in such a short time.

Feeling satisfied with the amount of tickets she's racked up already, Zero Two decided that she'll cash them in for a prize.

"I'll be right back," she told him with an elated smile on her face. One that he couldn't be happier to tell was genuine compared to her glum look in the restaurant.

Knowing where Zero Two would be, he nodded his head and decided to just wait for her to return to him. In the meantime, he looked down at his own amount of tickets. It didn't measure up to the quantity his partner received, but Hiro thought he could try feeding it to the machine too and seeing how much his tickets were worth. Probably not enough to receive a valuable prize, but Hiro was still curious about how much his tickets were worth regardless of so.

Just as he bent down on his knees to insert the first ticket, a familiar voice called out to him. "Hiro."

He stopped what he was doing to turn around and look up at her. "Ichigo..."

Seeing his sibling who'd been on his mind just earlier today but temporarily forgotten, he stood back up on his feet to properly face her. He's been worried about her ever since they went to the cinema, but hasn't found the time to approach her about it yet when he was being Zero Two's company. Therefore, he was thankful that she walked up to him first.

"Are you okay?"

It was the first thing that came out of his mouth regardless of the fact that Hiro knew very well Ichigo was capable of lying to him if she thought it was what he wanted to hear. This time, however, she didn't appear bent on beating around the bush.

"Can I talk to you outside? It's too noisy in here," Ichigo asked him in that serious tone of hers.

She used it while in her student president persona, rather than when she was displaying her softer personality underneath. That just went to show how serious she was about whatever needed to be discussed. Without question, Hiro nodded his head and allowed the shorter girl to lead the way.

With his back turned, he never noticed Zero Two rushing back over to him with her arm raised in preparation to show off her new prize. Yet her hurried footsteps froze as soon as she set her eyes on the both of them. Had Hiro seen the way her bright smile quickly fell from her face and how her arm dropped lifelessly at her side, surely he would've turned back around to her at that time.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"I think this is far enough, Ichigo."

They ended up stopping a few feet away from the entrance of the arcade. Not so close to the door that they'll be a nuisance to those coming in and out, but also not so far that they were completely untraceable. They were just a reasonable distance away from the place they should've been inside, having the time of their lives. If someone came looking for them now, it should only take them a few minutes to spot them by the side of the building.

But why he was here at all, Hiro wanted to understand. What was so important that Ichigo felt the need to hide this far in obscurity to tell him? This state of the unknown made his nerves leap at his stomach, but Hiro did his best to remain calm. Whatever his sister needed from him, he'll do his best to help her out.

That was what Hiro initially had in mind before she then opened her mouth.

"I need you to stop seeing Zero Two."

And like that, the world around him stopped spinning. It took a moment for Ichigo's clear and sharp words to register to his brain which refused to accept the information it was being told. He wished he hadn't heard this come from his sister's mouth at all, but Ichigo's statement lanced deeply at him like a blade. The weight of her words forcibly pulled the blankness of his mind back into reality.

"What?"

He was able to say precisely to her, but it didn't mean his thoughts were any less jumbled. Right now Hiro was completely baffled. Just earlier at the cinema, he received her approval for bringing Zero Two along with them. Now Ichigo was acting if that exchanged never occurred between them.

Maybe now he could try to get to the root of the problem? He had enough evidence pointing back at his conclusion that the source of her ire stemmed from Zero Two after all. But...

"...Why, Ichigo?" Hiro had to ask her.

Not even once has she mentioned the other, so he had no idea that Ichigo didn't get along with Zero Two. He was only aware of the fact that she has to deal with a lot of disorderly kids day in day out with her life as a student council president.

"I'll respect your decision to make friends with anyone else, but not her. Anyone but her," Ichigo strongly stressed while turning her body around to face him, allowing Hiro to see on her face how serious she was with what she was saying.

"I know what she's truly like, because I'm always disciplining her. She only gets into trouble and does whatever she feels like without regards for others. She doesn't take her education seriously and she doesn't have a single respectful bone in her body. You shouldn't be hanging around someone like that, Hiro. You're too good to sink to her level."

Hiro didn't know what was happening here. He couldn't keep up with it all, but he could feel something burning in his lungs. His confused eyes became solemn as he got ready to refute these claims of Ichigo. If the two of them went head to head all of the time then his sister probably knew more about Zero Two's actions, but that didn't mean she knew her personality.

Neither did Hiro, but for some reason, letting Ichigo say these sorts of things didn't sit right with him. Whether she was correct about her claims or not, they weren't reasons he could get his heart to leave Zero Two over.

"Ichi–" He tried, but she evidently wasn't done speaking her mind because her mouth continued to run. Either that or Ichigo purposefully didn't want to hear the input she knew he was about to make.

"Just because her father owns the school, Zero Two thinks she can get away with whatever behavior she demonstrates. The fact that she never changes her attitude tells me that she does as well."

For a second, his eyes widened slightly as his head absorbed the new information it was given. Zero Two's father was him? However, that wasn't Hiro's main interest at hand. This fact was only second to his true concern here.

"...I don't want you to end up in a situation that I can't save you from if you fall in deeper with her, Hiro. You understand where I'm coming from, right?"

Silence sprawled over them while Hiro took this time to allow all of Ichigo's critical words to sink into his head. He thought her warnings over. Over and over again, but his brain still came out with the same output.

"...I'm sorry, Ichigo. I hear all of your points, but I won't stop seeing Zero Two because of them. Even if all of what you said is the case, I still accept her for who she is. I know I can't change the memories you have with Zero Two, but even if it's just for me, I hope you can come to accept her too."

He witnessed the frustration on her face begin to boil and then... Defeat as her shoulders slumped, and her eyes lowered to her feet.

"...I see. I should've known you'd respond like this. You've always been such a good guy, Hiro."

Seeing this reaction from her, guilt was quick to inch its way close to Hiro's heart.

"Ichigo, I—" He tried to figuratively reach out a hand to her, but...

"If I can't change your mind then there's nothing more I can do, right?" Ichigo said as she popped her head back up, forcing a smile back onto her face.

He knew that she didn't mean it, that there was still disapproval about his decision hiding behind her curved lips. However, for his sake, Ichigo was willing to respect his decision. Even though Hiro couldn't stop seeing Zero Two just to please her, he still felt guilty that he couldn't do anything to lighten her mood. That he brought Zero Two to a place where someone disliked her and the same in reverse for Ichigo.

"Sorry for bothering you. Let's go back inside," the girl quickly added, clearly wanting to get away from the conversation seeing that she's lost her battle.

"No."

The smile on her face faltered then, confused by Hiro's sudden reluctance and for a good reason too. He was never one to put his foot down. Or at least, that part of Hiro hasn't shown itself in a very long time.

"I mean, no. You weren't bothering me. I was actually happy that you came to me about one of your problems for once, so... Thank you, Ichigo. Even though I couldn't do anything for you," The last part caused his eyes to regretfully drift to his feet.

Ichigo's lips just lifted upward as they met her crinkled eyes.

"You're such a dummy," she commented, but with gratefulness for her brother's unasked concern.

She didn't know how Hiro kept so many people in his thoughts all of the time, but this was his biggest charm.

"Wait, what did I do?"

Although, Hiro naturally couldn't catch on to why she was insulting him since he lacked the ability to read her mind. However, her voice had the usual lightness he was warmly accustomed to and it caused Hiro's eyes to look up from his feet.

"Nothing. Let's go back to the others already," Ichigo told him as she shook her head, smile still on her face.

The girl took her steps away from him, looking back at him from over her shoulder to ensure that Hiro would still follow.

It took Hiro's mind a second to recollect everything that just took place before he returned to the real world. He was still oblivious to the conclusion just Ichigo reached inside her head, but she was smiling genuinely and that was more than enough to get him to put this to rest.

"Okay."

And Hiro returned her smile.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Naturally, Hiro was right behind Ichigo as he followed her back into the arcade. They parted at the entrance with Ichigo waving to him, but his eyes continued to follow her until she returned to Ikuno at the table, who was now accompanied by Kokoro and Naomi with carbonated drinks. Watching their smiles meet their eyes made Hiro's heart feel less heavy and he felt better now than he had earlier.

Ichigo has always been in good hands, but now she was allowing these hands of theirs to reach her.

Even though her words had upset Hiro, they didn't make him think any less of Ichigo just as her words didn't make him think any less of Zero Two. At least he learned something new about Zero Two through this, but Hiro trusted that the other might've revealed this at her own time too. Until then, he'll try to pretend he never learned this.

Zero Two is... Ah! That's right, he ended up leaving her alone without saying anything to her. Quickly, he started to weave through the crowd and push through people as politely as he could to look for the pink that should stand out amongst the other heads.

Eventually, Hiro spotted a glimpse of pink that he knew right away belonged to the person he was seeking and closing in the distance between them both helped confirm that assumption.

He expected to come back to an upset or angry Zero Two for abandoning her without even mentioning it to her beforehand, but instead of either of those, he was pleasantly surprised to see that the joy on her face still hasn't left. Right now, she was in the middle of what appeared to be a heated battle with Zorome at Guitar Hero.

"Hah! Were you bluffing when you said you were the best at this game? Your score isn't nearly as close to mine!" Zero Two exclaimed, as her fingers danced along the neck of a plastic guitar with agility his eyes couldn't even fathom.

Even though her eyes were fully trained on the screen in front of her, Zero Two managed to hit every note that came without looking down at the colored tabs on her instrument. It was as if her fingers were purely trained by muscle memory to know where each button was and how soon to pound it.

Meanwhile, Zorome could only suck his teeth while holding a plain look of struggle on his face. Furiously, his fingers continued to assault the buttons on his guitar, but taking his frustration out on his console caused his actions to be even clumsier. Therefore, costing him several notes that passed him by.

Judging by the pace of the song they were performing to, Hiro thought they had to be playing on the hardest level whereas Zero Two was the expert and Zorome was the unfortunate newbie.

It wasn't rare to see Zorome lack skills at a game since he wasn't the most critical thinker around, always becoming a bit too confident in his abilities. It didn't matter whether they existed or not because his overconfidence caused Zorome to make the easiest mistakes since his characters weren't invincible. Nor was he a master at Guitar Hero. Hiro comically imagined that's how he ended up in the very situation he's in now.

However, despite his own slip ups every now and then, Zorome wasn't terrible at video games and could take care of himself pretty well when he took the time to think things out. Zero Two was making it hard for those efforts to count however with how well she was holding up, avoiding any missed notes, and effortlessly managing to keep up with the insane change in the rhythm much to Zorome's distaste.

Now the notes that scrolled down Zero Two's side were lit on fire which is a very good sign of her success so far! In contrast to hers, Zorome still had a regular screen on his side. The tragic gap between their scores was the same as bruising his ego, if not for the fact that he was already losing an arcade game to a girl. One he already claimed himself to be the master of.

This should've been easy! After all, it was only smashing a few buttons, but here Zorome stood with his jaw tightened because his score was _not_ looking too well right now. It wouldn't be long until the game decided to kick him out of his round on its own at this rate.

But Hiro couldn't be any happier to see that Zero Two has finally made the effort to interact with the others and get closer to them, especially when they were clicking so well.

Even if it might not seem that way on the surface with Zorome's obvious distress. A thorough glance at his surroundings told Hiro that he wasn't the only one taking interest in them either. Now he understood why he had to push through so many bodies to get over here in the first place. It was because Zero Two and Zorome has attracted people with their game, strangers rounding up to see the girl obliterate his brother.

Not necessarily just for that reason but because Zero Two was _this_ good at a music rhythm game and it was rare to find someone who was this talented at it.

The song came to a gradual finish, determining the end of the round before showcasing the clear gaps between Player One's 450,629 points and Player Two's 134,420 points. Zero Two marvelously had hit 97% of her notes, meanwhile, Zorome unfortunately made it out alive with only 60% of his made.

"Dammit!" Zorome yelled out in frustration, before leaning over to rest his forehead against the machine's structure in defeat.

The black, plastic guitar was still strapped around the boy's small body as he sulked. A loud and elongated groan escaped Zorome as he then buried his face into his arms, Futoshi standing behind him while he patted him on the back comfortably.

And mercilessly, Zero Two left the boy she just figuratively murdered in this state once her eyes met with Hiro's.

"You're back!" she exclaimed gleefully, putting her toy guitar back in its place before hopping hopped over to Hiro.

Behind her, Zorome continued to whine while Futoshi most likely told him good things that would help restore his lost dignity. Hiro returned her gleeful smile, but it fell just as quickly as it had appeared when he saw Zero Two's face suddenly became somber.

"Leaving me out of nowhere like that wasn't very nice," Zero Two complained with her bottom lip poking out.

Was she... _pouting_? Quietly, he laughed at her cuteness.

"Sorry about that. I should've told you where I was going before I went off on my own," Hiro apologized sincerely to her. He didn't want to tell her about what he and Ichigo just talked about.

He couldn't.

His sincerity must've reached the other's heart since she jumped out of her pouty state mighty quickly.

"Anyway! Look what I got," Zero Two moved the conversation along, raising her cellphone to his face as she dangled her prize closely to his view.

Once it stopped swinging side to side, Hiro could make out the small object to be a cellphone charm. It took the shape of a honeycomb nest which was a rich orange in color, but more than likely crafted from artificial gold given the place it was retrieved. From the top and down to the bottom, yellow liquid oozed from the side that helped emphasize what the charm was meant to represent.

"This is what you won with your tickets, right?" Hiro asked which earned him an excited nod from the other and a hopeful, but impatient look on her face that seemed as if she was waiting for his approval of her acclaimed prize.

Cute, she's so...

"...Cute," he accidentally let exactly what he was thinking of inside his head slip out to her.

Luckily, Hiro could compensate for his loose tongue since Zero Two probably thought he was only referring to the cellphone charm.

"A-Ah, I mean... You really like honey. Don't you, Zero Two?" He tried to dodge the consequence of his own mistake by shifting the subject a little, hoping that there wasn't a flustered look on his face betraying him right now.

When the corners of her lips curved into a large and silent smile, Hiro immediately thought he's been caught but then Zero Two winked playfully at him.

"What do you think?" she asked rhetorically and it took the boy an honest second to remember that they were talking about her love for sweets here.

He laughed nervously, taking a small step back. "I think you like things that taste sweet. Am I right?"

"Hmm..." Zero Two closed her eyes thoughtfully before nodding her head, wearing a proud smile on her face. "You're correct. I'm happy that you remembered something about me." She peeked out from one eye now, arms resting behind her back.

Hiro didn't know why this was the case, but seeing the genuineness of her smile helped every nervous bone in his body calm down until everything felt right again. Why someone still so new to him could make him feel this immediate ease with just one look, Hiro didn't know yet. He had a lot of questions spinning in his head faster than his brain was willing to answer them.

"It's nothing much. I just can't help but notice while I'm around you." Hiro could only hope that didn't sound as creepy as it does out loud now?

He stuck his hand into his own pocket to feel for the tickets he crushed into them earlier. Hiro didn't need to pull them all out to know they didn't amount to the ones Zero Two just sold.

"Anyway, I don't think I can do anything with my tickets yet."

"Not so fast," she told him.

Hiro didn't understand what Zero Two meant by this until she took out another tiny object from inside of her pocket. It was yet another charm that was identical to the honeycomb nest she traded her tickets in for. Was it necessary to buy two of those if she only used one phone?

While staring at it, it took a few seconds for it to click in Hiro's brain that she was not holding the charm out towards him because she wanted him to carefully look at the details. This time she was handing it over to him.

"Huh? Wait, you didn't have to get anything for me, Zero Two."

Did she buy him this because she felt sad for him? While her kindness was appreciated, he wouldn't have ever asked her to buy him something in place of another prize that could've easily been hers.

Taking his words as rejection, the raised corners of Zero Two's mouth fell slowly which made Hiro want to kick himself for responding the way he had. She must've misunderstood him and thought he wouldn't take it at all when that wasn't the actual case here.

"I didn't have to, but I wanted to. Take out your phone real quick," she said with an irked pout resting on her face, one cheek slightly puffed out with air.

Meanwhile, her hand rested against her hip as she expectantly waited for him to act.

Unsure, Hiro did what she asked but he naively trusted her enough to not question her intentions. After all, it was only his phone. Zero Two then took a step closer to him, closing most of the remaining space left in between them.

Hiro held his breath the whole time, praying to God that his face didn't look red as a tomato right now. Especially not as her fingers brushed against his own while she went to gently take his phone from his grasp. His fingers instinctively loosened their grip on the object, but it wasn't because Zero Two wanted it for her own use that he complied.

It was the small sparks of static that danced along his skin when the physical but innocent direct contact was initiated. The way Hiro's ears canceled out all noise around them, and how his heart thumping in his chest sounded like the loudest thing right now despite how unreal that illusion was.

But in a second, the heightening sensation was over. However, the sparks on his skin where Zero Two had touched still remained, refusing to completely wither away. It was as if his body wanted to remember what she felt like just for a bit longer.

"There. Now we match," she told him with a bright smile on her face. It brought Hiro's attention back to the imperceptibly heavy weight in his hand, turquoise eyes inspecting what she just did while he was in his trance of some sort.

In his hand, there laid the first accessory his phone has ever had the pleasure of possessing. Zero Two then held the ends of their phones together so that their newly bought cellphone charms were side by side. This helped emphasize the fact that they were matching now.

Hiro never before thought he needed one of these because while they were cool, they were also insignificant to him. Yet looking at the identical charms they owned with each other now, the boy couldn't help but feel touched.

It was okay to feel this way, right? After all, they should be...

"Zero Two... We're friends now, right?" Hiro couldn't help but ask the question that was weighing the heaviest on his heart at this moment.

He couldn't help but think that the two of them have formed a connection deeper than the one they had yesterday. Everything was happening in such a short time, but it felt as if they've known each other for a longer length of time than only two days.

If he was even more foolish than he'd say for eternity. A surprised look crossed her face as if Zero Two hadn't been expecting the question.

"Is that what you want?" she asked. Not indifferently, but sincerely.

Hiro didn't have to think long or hard about her inquiry. For once in his disoriented life, he's never been so sure about anything.

"It is. If that's okay with you, Zero Two?"

Then, she smiled the biggest and warmest smile he's honestly ever seen out of her. Hiro wasn't aware the other could smile so widely until now.

"I've been waiting to hear that question for a while."

* * *

 **January 14, 2028**

 **10:15 PM**

Night gradually met its demise. They ended up going a little over their usual curfew, but if they were lucky then Papa should get home later than they will. Which meant all of them still have a chance make it seem as if they returned home at a responsible time instead of past the city's curfew.

Usually, Ichigo and Goro made sure they never took advantage of their freedom by missing their curfew, but considering that things happened a little differently from their usual outings, Hiro understood why this was the outcome. Staying out an hour late had been worth it to Hiro anyway.

His brothers and sisters enjoyed themselves and Zero Two seemed to have bonded well with them. Surely, but slowly. She hasn't connected with all of them yet, but Zorome and Futoshi were fond of her after tonight and that was progress.

He also felt as if he'd gotten closer to Zero Two this particular night, and he was more than happy to have spent most of his entire time in her presence. It made Hiro wonder why they hadn't come into each other's lives sooner?

Tonight ended happily enough that Hiro was eager to invite her to the next place. And the next, and the next. The need to keep seeing Zero Two was strong instead of letting her be one of the people he fleetingly allowed to slip through his fingers.

That was why the wave of disappointment hit Hiro so hard when he realized that they had their own homes to return to now. He's already gotten so used to her presence that it didn't feel as right to go back to his normal state of solitude. Zero Two's presence around him felt so natural.

"It's already past curfew. Sorry for keeping you out so late. I can walk you home if you want, Zero Two?" Hiro suggested, discreetly trying to find an excuse to stay around the other for a bit longer if he possible. Or, as discreet as he could hope to be.

"No." A sharp tone came from Ichigo, but it wasn't aggressive. He could hear it in her voice that it was only her protective nature coming out. "It's dangerous for you two to walk around the city in the middle of the night."

Hiro turned his body around to his smaller sister. "If it's dangerous for us together, then it's even more dangerous for Zero Two alone."

Ichigo's demeanor didn't sway.

"I know. That's why if Zero Two needs us to see her home, then it'll be better if we accompanied her as a group. I'll take the blame if we make it home late."

She surprised him. After the near confrontation earlier, Hiro was almost certain that Ichigo wouldn't give him additional time with Zero Two. Even if he managed to make her smile tonight, it didn't mean that Ichigo would change her opinion of Zero Two. That may only occur with time.

Hiro also knew that Ichigo wasn't one to easily change her views if she thought they were right against another's, so it was a warm development to see his sister at least trying to make this work. For that, he was very proud of her.

 _Ichigo..._

"It's okay. I can walk myself," Zero Two interjected. It wasn't a jab at Ichigo, but a promise to anyone listening that she was capable of taking herself home without running into any trouble.

Hiro wasn't so adamant about letting her off into possible danger however.

"But-" He tried, but a lone finger was raised to his lips that shushed him in the middle of his sentence.

"You talk too much," she told him but with a reassuring smile on her face that made Hiro's shoulders relax in defeat, feeling compelled to trust her.

That's right. She was her own person too and didn't need to be protected. She would know that better than him, would she not?

"Sorry," Hiro told her, eyes flashing with sadness for a moment until something wet hit him between the eyes.

Three more drops, then several more. It was already so dark that his eyes couldn't tell whether the clouds above them were grey or not, but one could make an educational guess when raindrops were sprinkling from the sky. This could be a sign that a heavier blanket of rain would possibly follow later and if that happened, Hiro didn't want Zero Two to accidentally get caught in that.

On Hiro's end, they had their jackets they came out in to protect them from the rainfall, but Zero Two was absolutely sleeveless and exposed to the Earth's elements. What could he do for?

"Here. Use my jacket as a raincoat," Hiro suggested... No, _instructed_ her to do, already pulling his arms out of his warm and long sleeves.

In a flash, it was wrapped around Zero Two's shoulders which she accepted slowly with her hands, most likely confused by his act of chivalry.

"It's fine. I don't hate the rain. In fact, I love it a lot," she revealed to him yet didn't hand his jacket back to him.

Zero Two allowed her arms to slip through the holes, the same place his own just been so the inside was still just as warm as Hiro's body much to her secret pleasure.

Or not so secretly since Zero Two shamelessly brought the fabric closer to her face, burying her nose into the inside of Hiro's jacket so she could get a whiff of his natural aroma. It made her heart race.

 _It smells just like him._

Hiro could only stare back at her, clearly speechless by the sight of the girl doing such a bold thing right in front of him. The same with for some of his siblings who had the displeasure of being the front row witnesses to Zero Two's and Hiro's unintentional flirtation.

"Thank you, though. I'll make good use of it!" Zero Two added with a giddy giggle, evidently happy to have something of his to claim temporarily.

She didn't use the hood attached to the back that was the main purpose of him even lending her the jacket, but Hiro didn't say anything about it. He trusted that she'll put the article to use if the rain became heavier like any other person.

He underestimated the other and her odd habits though.

"Hold still," she told him, trying to stifle her laughter when Hiro's back became a little too stiff after she instructed him.

Zero Two pulled on the side of her bright red scarf wrapped around her neck until it loosely undid itself. Looking down at the boy that was shorter than her by two inches, she then circled the warm and fuzzy, wool-made accessory around his neck twice and then tugged slightly at the ends until it was firm enough not to slide off.

He looked good wearing her prized possession. Its vibrant shade of red complimented his turquoise eyes kindly. Hiro didn't understand why he was being given it though, "Zero Two?"

"We're even now. Return it to me whenever you want," she took a step back to fully marvel in the other's appearance with the added accessory and silently approved of his new look.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye again then," the girl stated, but this time not with the same disappointment she had yesterday.

After a night like this one, it was difficult for Zero Two to feel bitter about anything given all the time she received with Hiro.

Tonight, she received almost everything she wished for.

"I had lots of fun with you, Hiro. This was the best first date I've ever had."

Zero Two took a step closer to him again so she could throw her arms around Hiro's neck, warm bodies pressing flush against one another. Even though Hiro was too surprised to return the embrace, she still melted into his arms and buried her face into the crook of his neck.

Right now the others around them hardly existed and it was just the two of them in this rotten yet beautiful world.

His heart is racing like crazy... She loved it. It made Zero Two close her lids, focusing solely on the consistent thumps of the boy's heart that failed to steady itself.

"Ze-Zero Two?"

It took Zero Two until that moment to open her lids and realize that she was holding onto Hiro much longer and tighter than she originally intended to. His voice served as her wake-up call to pull back and give him back his personal space, realizing she'd gotten a little too caught up in her feelings.

Zero Two thought to apologize for squeezing him too tightly, a little afraid of having crossed a boundary that may or may not exist within Hiro. However, the problem with that was the fact that she didn't know where to begin with such a basic thing. So, the words never came out of her mouth. Instead, Zero Two decided to go with something she was more familiar with.

"Thank you for tonight, Da... Hiro. I'll see you on Monday, right?"

 _Ah... What a clumsy slip of the tongue... When did you get like this?_

Hiro nodded his head and his arms almost returned the embrace, but he abruptly pulled them back to his sides as soon as Zero Two had. He didn't want to look awkward having them outstretched like that. The girl never noticed the other's near reciprocation.

"Yeah. I'll see you on Monday," Hiro not only agreed to this, but made a promise.

The ends of her lips curled upward, meeting her ears and like a contagious illness, her delight passed onto Hiro until he was mirroring her smile with his own.

"Mm. Bye-bye," Zero Two parted from him with those words, clutching her borrowed jacket closer to her body when she turned around and headed for the other side of the city.

Hiro got lost in watching her parting silhouette that he'd nearly forgotten he still had company around him until a heavy arm wrapped around his neck, bringing him down to the slightly shorter boy.

"Look at you acting all princely!" Zorome mocked him, rushing at the first chance he had to tease him and Hiro was surely leaving himself open for anything that was to be thrown his way.

"Here, Zero Two. Take my jacket," the boy did his best to imitate Hiro's huskier voice. Then, he changed into a higher pitched tone that was supposed to mimic Zero Two's.

"Oh, my. You shouldn't have, Hiro! You're so charming, I could kiss you!" Following his words, Zorome then childishly started to make kissy faces at the air.

"You didn't tell us we were all just babysitters tonight," Ichigo didn't miss the chance to make a jab at Hiro either, wearing a playful smirk on her face while her hands rested in the pockets of her black, zipped up hoodie.

Hiro was pushed into a situation where he could only blush helplessly, not accustomed to this much attention fixated on him. Especially not over a misunderstanding like this one.

"It wasn't like that at all. It's just..."

Well, how did he explain any of that to them in the first place?

"Well, I'm happy for you. But next time, don't use us as an excuse to see your girlfriend! A real man should feel comfortable around a girl alone," Miku scolded the other with her arms crossed against her chest, turning her head away from Hiro disapprovingly and with her high pigtails bouncing slightly from the movement.

"A girlfriend explains a lot," Ikuno added deceptively, not looking up from her novel this time to comment since she couldn't see the words well in the dark. Right now she appeared even more present in the conversation much to Hiro's dismay. She was one of the sharpest amongst them all, so if Ikuno noticed something then it was usually true.

Except _this_ wasn't, but none of them would believe that.

"Again, it's not like that. I swear we're only friends!" Hiro tried, but knew instantly that it was useless with the very unconvinced smiles that looked back at him.

It was clear to Hiro then that he wouldn't rest well tonight considering the long, teasing-filled walk home that was up ahead.

* * *

 **January 15, 2028**

 **3:07 PM**

The hall was busy with students pouring in and out of the double doors, only a couple of steps away from freedom for the rest of the afternoon. Buses were parked outside the school in vertical lines, waiting to take hundreds of kids back to their homes. Meanwhile, others in large or small cliques were already heading off to their club rooms.

Hiro had no such place to be. Right now he could be taking his usual path home, but instead of immediately leaving school grounds, Hiro stood by the frame of an opened door that peered into a senior classroom. Around his neck was a bright red scarf that was lent to him two days ago and he hoped to faithfully return it to its owner today.

As each student exited the classroom, Hiro paid careful attention to the faces that passed him by, but he failed to ever spot the one he was anxiously looking for.

Did he have the wrong classroom?

No, Hiro remembered clearly that Zero Two said she was from Class 3-C when they met and he even confirmed this with Ichigo before he decided to make this trip. She has official information on every student in the school. Their ID numbers, their class number, name and contact information. Things that anyone who helped run the school should have access to.

Therefore, it would be impossible for Ichigo to get this wrong. Especially when she encountered Zero Two throughout the school as frequently as his sister claimed she did, so the girl had to be somewhere else.

With what he also learned from Ichigo, she was similar to him by not taking part in any clubs. Therefore, that ruled out the possibility Zero Two was already occupied in another classroom.

The worst case scenario was that he reached the classroom a little too late, and Zero Two was already heading home. Hiro peeked his head inside the classroom, not confident enough to completely walk in as if he belonged here. After all, this wasn't his homeroom to be hanging around.

Hiro's eyes did a quick scan of the room to see who all was left, hoping that a head of pink hair would pop out to him from one of the corners of the room. Sadly, it didn't and he only saw more faces he didn't recognize.

When it came down to the last few female students in the room, Hiro found the courage to stop one with short and straight, chestnut brown hair before their foot could take another step out the door. "Um, excuse me! Is Zero.." No, wait.

There was a possibility that she didn't go by that nickname here. Surely, they all addressed each other by their surnames as any other class would?

"...I mean is Frank's granddaughter in this class? She's the girl with long, pink hair," Hiro described to the other.

He couldn't tell if his description of Zero Two rung a bell or not by her expression alone since it remained bored, hardly giving a thought to his question. It probably wasn't helping that he was pestering her with something as inconvenient as this.

"Oh, her? She never came to school today. She rarely ever does," the unnamed girl answered for him before a boy much taller than the both of them walked up behind her.

"Thanks for waiting for me, Daia," the towering boy who definitely fit his year said to her with a smile on his face. He pushed a loose, tawny strand of brown hair to the side with the rest of his bangs. Even when his eyes took notice of Hiro whom he did not know, his expression remained gentle.

"Who's this?" he said to the girl that Hiro now knew as Daia, but it was least likely that he would ever have to remember her name in the future.

"No one. Let's go," she said nicely to her male friend, eyes already looking away from Hiro as they walked down the hall side by side. Hiro didn't even think twice about the rude way the girl brushed him off, his mind too focused on Zero Two's unexpected absence.

She didn't come today, huh?

Normally, Hiro wouldn't think that this was too worrisome if Zero Two truly did attend school only on days she wanted to, but they specifically made a promise last weekend to see each other on this Monday.

She never ended notified him this morning, or any other time during the day about staying home. Wouldn't she have at least let him know beforehand?

Then again, Zero Two didn't have to be held accountable to those kinds of things. They're both their own person, so she didn't have to report to him as much as Hiro would've secretly appreciated it.

Did she skip because she was bored of her classes?

Hiro took out his phone in hopes of receiving an answer to his question, going immediately to their last conversation which was about her arrival at the cinema. They haven't talked since that night, so Hiro honestly had been a little excited to see her today. Unfortunately only to have his hopes washed down the drain, but there was always tomorrow.

For now, Hiro wanted to at least check up on her. Friends did that for each other and the two terms weren't too far away from family in his heart. Zero Two was someone he cared about now.

 **"Hey, Zero Two. I came to your class to return your scarf to you, but you weren't there. Is everything okay?"**

There. It was a quick and simple message, Hiro hoped. Texting Zero Two shouldn't be much different from texting his siblings, but he couldn't deny the epidemic of anxiety that followed the act, churning in his stomach and then rising to his heart now that he's initiated some kind of contact with her on his own.

Hiro fretted that his message could've been too cut to the chase, but the more reasonable part of his brain argued with him that it was okay to ask one about their well-being. After all, it was done to him many times growing up.

Minutes passed without an answer which caused his anxiety to fester. The clock had rounded a complete hour by the time he was rereading his own message, picking it apart in hopes of seeing what he could've said wrong. Two hours had passed when Hiro realized that the message was read, but never replied to.

He definitely did come on too strong, had he?

The next time Hiro decided to attempt at another text, it was when dinner at his house had finished up twenty minutes ago and the boy just got done cleaning the dirty dishes with Kokoro's help much to his family's chore rotation. One different weekdays and weeknights, they tended to shuffle around and take turns doing certain house chores in pairs.

Now he sat down on the edge of his bed, looking down at his phone with dry hands and his first message from earlier today that never gathered Zero Two's attention. Her red scarf laid lifelessly but neatly on the back of his chair which sat in front of his study desk, still not returned to its proper owner.

 **"...Sorry if I bugged you by asking!"**

...That too was simple but... simple was good, right? It was shorter than his last message and he was apologizing for possibly putting Zero Two off with his nosy question. If only there was a manual somewhere in his local library on how to hold a conversation with someone who you didn't already know inside and out. Hiro has long forgotten how to since he wasn't that sociable kid in elementary school anymore.

He went to bed staring at his phone that night, hoping to receive a response that never came. With his slightly red eyes sore and stinging from exhaustion, Hiro ended up naturally losing his fight against sleep, his charged up phone still laying flat in his open palm while he snoozed away.

When he awoke for school the next morning, the first thing Hiro did was grab his phone in a haste to see the reply from Zero Two he hoped to have received by now.

But... there still was nothing.

Opening the conversation now, what remained were still his two messages and the timestamps they were sent at. But unlike the first one, his message from last night wasn't read at all this time which meant Zero Two never bothered to open up his text to her. Was he _that_ bothersome?

Maybe he should leave her alone then. That's what Hiro told himself he would do until she returned to school or to his unanswered questions on her own, but he genuinely had to hold back the need to go for a third attempt many times throughout the following school day.

However, on the inside, Hiro thought of himself as weak. Very, very weak and perhaps that stood as the sole reason why his feet were bringing him back over to Class 3-C for the second time.

He wanted to see her, to verify that she was okay even if she didn't want to talk to him. Hiro had hoped she would've been present at school today, but once more, Zero Two wasn't there.

Not because he missed her by some unpropitious luck, or because she was busy running an errand for a teacher, but because Zero Two never came to school at all.

Now Hiro's concerns for her raised through the roof and he could only hope that this was something Zero Two did all of the time. He hoped that sometime this week he'll find her bouncing up and down the hall with that sweet, cavity giving smile of hers.

Even with his unsuccessful second try, Hiro waited for her the next day, and then the one after that only to end up with the same frustrating result. He didn't want to send her any more messages beyond the two he's already sent to her phone, able to receive the idea that Zero Two didn't want to speak to him since she's yet to answer him in a few days now.

But _why_ still pestered him endlessly and he feared that he wouldn't rest well until Zero Two came out of her cave.

On the last weekday, Hiro returned home feeling less emotionally drained about his load of homework for the weekend but more because of his current situation concerning a certain someone that's been wrapped around his mind much too long.

He knew that she shouldn't be his main focus to this extent, but when she completely shut herself off from him and the rest of the world like this, Hiro couldn't help but feel even more curious about her whereabouts and her mental state. It was killing him _not_ to know what was happening with her.

If there was something wrong, Hiro wanted to be able to help her. She couldn't be avoiding him to the point that she wouldn't come to school, right? Last Saturday had seemed to end well, so he didn't have a plausible reason to support this theory crafted out of pure paranoia.

What if it was because he didn't return her hug on time? But to avoid him to this extent sounded too dramatic, so that couldn't be it. Perhaps it was related to something more personal than that and assuming that Zero Two could be this sensitive over insignificant things was silly.

She would probably be insulted if he knew that he almost entertained the idea of her having a hard time over something so little.

An exasperated sigh left his mouth, his backpack dropping onto the living room's sofa softly before its owner gently sat down next to it. He leaned over with his elbows resting on his knees, lids sliding shut so he could think. It was unavoidable that his thoughts would eventually lead back to Zero Two, however.

The sound of knit, white socks sliding against the wooden floor neared him and Hiro could tell, without opening his eyes, that it was Goro simply by the heaviness of the person's footsteps and the way they carried themselves as they walked.

"Still no luck?" he asked, aware of Hiro's dilemma since his consistently sullen look and tendency to zone out more during class, and at the dinner table caught his siblings' attention from the second day on.

Ichigo and Goro were the only ones who personally knew about his unresolved issue of not getting in contact with Zero Two lately. He didn't doubt that Ichigo also told Naomi though since the two of them are close and liked to stay up to talk at night, but he didn't mind Naomi's awareness.

"I'm afraid not. I haven't gotten a single word from her since Saturday," Hiro replied regretfully, another sigh being dragged out of him as he slowly leaned back against the sofa's pillow, sinking into the cushion.

Goro moved around the sofa and joined him on the furniture, pressing an ice cold can of soda against his cheek that made Hiro's eyes flinch from the sudden sensation. However, he still accepted the refresher without question.

"Thanks," Hiro told him, thanking him not only for the beverage but for being here for him while he tried to figure this all out.

Goro took the television remote into his hand, flipping through various channels to find something more appealing to watch than the shopping network. In the meantime, Hiro raised his can of soda to his lips and tilted it slightly, feeling the cool liquid run down his throat like a fresh dip into a waterfall before swallowing its carbonated taste.

 _Ah... That was good._

These days it was already getting even warmer outside. It was odd considering how cold it was not too long ago, only for it to almost feel like summer a week later. The weather tended to be imbalanced like this though and the more weeks that passed them by, the more evident it became to Hiro that they were leaving winter behind and entering a more careful and warmer season.

It also stood as another reason why he needed to return Zero Two's scarf to her since it wasn't as chilly out anymore. But saying that was the only reason would be a flat-out lie now. Hiro was less concerned about handing her property back to her, but knowing whether she was well or not.

Goro stopped at one channel which Hiro noticed to be the news. What made his eyes widen and caused him to stop drinking midway was the famous, elderly looking man almost everyone in Japan was fond of.

The set volume was already raised high enough that its sound traveled throughout the living room and into the nearby kitchen, but Hiro still leaned over the edge of his seat to listen more closely than he currently was.

"...It's been confirmed by Werner Hospital that the owner, Werner Frank, suffered from a hemorrhagic brain stroke which inevitably led to his death approximately at 7 PM last Saturday. His assistant, Nana Kitaura did everything within her power to seek medical attention for him, but by the time he was admitted to the hospital, it was far too late and he was immediately pronounced dead. For the sake of his family's privacy and time for them to mourn, officials were told to wait several days before releasing this information to the public-"

The can of soda Hiro was still holding onto nearly slipped out of his fingers.

* * *

And that was the second part to the previous chapter! As you can see, I didn't want to make Ichigo an antagonist like she was in DITF. So, I rewrote her in a way that I would've preferred for her to be. I think this is the best option too since putting someone in between our main couple for drama is very frustrating, right?

Stay tuned for the next update. Thank you all again.

\- Michie


	6. I Won't Leave You All Alone

Why do I write so much? Ah, I do it for YSIS. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter because I'm pretty proud of it. Without spoiling the content, I'll say that getting to focus more on Zero Two's and Hiro's separate personalities and interpersonal thoughts was very fun to write.

The next chapter will reveal some backstories, so hang on until then!

Also note that legally Zero Two is adopted as Werner's daughter, but Zero Two sees him as more of a grandfather to her rather than a father. The inverse is the same with Werner.

With all that said, please enjoy and feel free to point out any more errors out to me!

\- Michie

* * *

 **February 5, 2028**

 **4:24 PM**

She used to love the outdoors. It was her escape; it helped her take a step away from reality and temporarily erased all her concerns. But today, and the days leading up until now, her haven couldn't help but taste stale. Bitter. The Earth's chill breeze that used to tickle the tiny hairs on her white skin, her nonexistent wings outstretched in the wind—It all gave her a momentary sense of freedom.

Whenever she closed her eyes, the girl enjoyed picturing herself as an unfettered bird soaring in the seemingly endless, cobalt blue sky.

Now it felt as if the air was getting trapped in her lungs until she could no longer breathe no matter how much she tried to. As she suffocated, both her wings lost its sense of flight, leading her to her doom as her body fell to the ground and landed with a harsh thump.

And as she laid there with her wounded wings, Zero Two was forced to lifelessly reflect on everything she's done until this point. Everything _he's_ done for her. It was unfair that he had to be taken away from this cruel world before she was.

What had he done that was so wrong? She's the one who carried sins, the one whose inauspicious fate was determined since birth, the demon who'd killed such a gentle life and then drove another one into willingly taking their own. _She's_ the monster, not him. _He_ was anything but that.

He was...

A lump, a ball of despair rose up inside her throat and got trapped in the center, threatening to make the watery tears that were welling up in her red, swollen eyes spill over. Zero Two bit down harshly on her bottom lip to hold back her body's urge to lose control, not caring if it drew blood or not. This would be the tenth... No, she couldn't even remember how many times she's become so pitiful in the past several weeks, but the girl by now was tired of being reduced to this mental state.

It was now an old game of repetition, therefore she did everything in her power to _not_ go to that place again. There couldn't possibly be any more tears left in her body to shed at this point. Her lids closed to seek the only rest she's gotten in a while now, and that in itself wasn't truly a real break from all of the disarray buzzing around herself lately. Buzzing nosily around her home... Damn media.

Zero Two bit down on the nail of her thumb.

They didn't care about Werner nor the conditions of his family members or friends, they just wanted a good story on one of the most influential men in Japan. Anything that gave them food to put on the table at night.

She's thought this many times before now, but she really did despise those people the most.

Zero Two shook her head, trying _not_ to recall the very reason she's been avoiding staying home lately. That and the fact that being in that place he used to walk up and down the halls in, but no longer did made her feel... horrible. The raw emptiness inside her chest felt emptier. It was another regretful headache that reminded her of what she lost that day.

Something's been tugging at the strings of her heart, yanking it in and out and she still couldn't get the uncomfortable sensation to stop. Zero Two long stopped fighting the despair, allowing it to spread from her heart to her toes, numbing her completely. She curled her hands into tight fists until her long nails were digging into the skin on her palms again. As the girl hugged her knees closer to her chest, her messy bangs formed a dark shadow over her soulless eyes.

When the sadness grew bored of overtaking her, then always came the rage. Hatred towards herself for the selfish decision she made at that time. Anger burned underneath her skin, making her feel on fire as the sensation rose to her throat to let out a scream that the world would never hear. She was always silently detesting herself and now her reasons for that have only manifested.

Back then, Nana tried to reach out to her. Zero Two thought they were only trying to bother her about not waiting for permission to go out at as she pleased first, so she decided to turn off her phone at the time. When she turned it back on a few hours later, she was completely taken aback about the amount of missed calls and messages left waiting for her.

Nana was uptight and annoying as hell to Zero Two, but she was never _that_ up her ass about the rules. They were already at a level in their relationship where Nana scolded her, but she didn't listen and did whatever she felt like doing at the time, and the woman eventually grew tired of always trying to stop her.

That was at the stage they'd been at for some time now, so when she came back to the flutter of notifications, that was when Zero Two knew in her head that something was wrong. Her heart had raced in her chest like never before when she scrolled past several missed calls and voicemails only to come down to one message that had only given her an ominous room number.

Her feet sprinted as fast as they've ever done so in her life, not needing any further information to know where to rush to. Zero Two didn't even stop to check for any other message.

By time she made it there in her slightly drenched state, she was three hours too late and Zero Two couldn't help but think that the world was mocking her when the rainfall grew tremendously heavy all of a sudden.

He gave a new meaning to her life, but now she felt as if it has gone back to being nothing without his existence in it. Zero Two didn't know where to go on from here, but it wasn't as if she was hellbent on making the most of her life anyway.

Now with this anguish residing in her heart, it's become clearer to her what she's been carelessly trying to do as of lately. Zero Two didn't want to inflict these same emotions in others, therefore it was for the better if she didn't get close to anyone else. It was for the better if she remained alone like this forever.

That was how she needed to live the rest of her life.

She's come to learn the hardest way that life was like a candlelight. A swaying and nascent flame that was beautiful and bright on the outside looking in, but could easily be blown out at any time. Sometimes the fire caused chaos to those around them if one was not too careful, and right now Zero Two felt as if she was being dragged down with this metaphoric turmoil.

"I won't leave you alone, old man," Zero Two whispered solemnly at nothing.

One of these days, she'll come up there to see him. She was certain of it, and when that day came, she would apologize for all the troubles she's caused him. It was partially her fault that...

The lump in her throat returned and this time Zero Two didn't try to hold it back. Instead, she allowed the agony in her heart to come undone for the nth time this month. All her sorrows were released to be heard by no one who was listening.

When she returned home, it was empty all throughout. Not that she looked for anyone in particular however. No, instead the girl headed straight upstairs to her room and closed the door behind herself. She didn't need to lock it because no one would be coming in to bother her for a while. They've been avoiding her just as much as she's been avoiding them, outside of the occasional tray of food she'll hear them put outside her bedroom door every day.

Zero Two hardly touched them so it only grew cold and became disposable trash. The most she could down these days was plain white bread and a sip of tea every now and then whether she let it go cold first or not. She used to prefer honey on her bread—it was even better when toasted—but the girl couldn't care less about the pickiness of an appetite she no longer felt now. The girl didn't know how long this would carry on, but she wasn't trying to correct her recently adapted eating habit either.

Whatever. She would have a couple hours of peace today with no servants, or a noisy woman telling her that she needed to do something else other than mope and be absent from home for hours of the day. Zero Two knew Nana only cared about her because she felt obligated to. She pitied her, they all did probably. She was weak and it was a curse placed on her since the moment she was born. That was why she's always been in the face of pity and it aggravated her.

Zero Two kicked her shoes off, not concerned about the thud they made against her walls due to her own carelessness. If it left a mark, then _oh well_. Once she was in her white socks, the girl slowly laid down on her usual side of the bed without slipping underneath the covers. Zero Two curled into a ball like always, bringing her hands underneath her head as her eyes bore holes into the wall that glared back at her.

Without the sounds of metal utensils clinking together from the downstairs kitchen, the house was completely silent and it felt more awful to Zero Two rather than as relieving as she chalked it up to be inside her head when she yearned complete isolation.

It took her a while to realize that the noise of her television running in the background wasn't a part of her normal revisits to her room.

She hasn't watched any television ever since then nor has she tried to get in contact with the outside world. That meant someone must've turned it on themselves when they ventured into her room while she was away. Probably a futile attempt to get her to come out of her shell, or to distract her with silly shows that she could care less about indulging in right now. Turning her body onto her stomach some, her hand pulled out the drawer to her nightstand and felt around for her remote.

Zero Two recalled receiving two messages from Hiro several weeks ago, but she couldn't answer him. She still hasn't and didn't plan to. When Hiro reached out to her the second time around, she almost felt the need to respond and reassure him that her lack of response wasn't his fault. Yet the situation was also something she didn't feel up to explaining properly to him.

It was much too hard to, just like her decision to get out of contact with Hiro. If the girl was being honest, she's been longing to at least see his face for a while now. To allow him to distract her from her own toxic thoughts, but she couldn't indulge in that desire. That would be selfish of her.

It wasn't fair on Hiro if–

Ah, she found the remote.

"...uneral service for Werner Frank took place this afternoon. The casket arrived at Jiyu Cathedral, the city's oldest and most notorious church, where the public was invited to pay respects for Mr. Frank. It's been reported that Mr. Frank's family alongside his assistant, Nana Kitaura, and many other co-workers and close friends were in attendance during the funeral procession. However, there are no reports of Frank's adoptive daughter, whose name will remain undisclosed, ever attending the funeral—"

The television screen turned black after pressing down on the resigned button on her remote. The remote fell back down onto her nightstand with a harsh impact, before the girl turned her body over to face the opposite wall and returned to her curled up state.

* * *

 **February 7, 2028**

 **6:58 AM**

The early birds sung sweet notes into the air as the rays of an early morning crept up on the city. It was right at the crack of dawn _—_ 7' o clock sharp specifically, and Hiro's feet were surprisingly bringing him to school on time despite how sluggishly he was carrying himself.

Several weeks have passed since he learned about the unfortunate incident with Werner Frank. Hiro hasn't managed to get in contact with _her_ at all and it genuinely scared him how Zero Two just seemed to disappear from the face of the Earth like that.

He couldn't reach out to her during this time. Mostly because he didn't know how to. He didn't know what to tell Zero Two at a time like this, but he could understand _—_ much too personally _—_ how she felt. Hiro had only sent her one more message which consisted of him telling the girl that he was sorry for her loss, but he suspected that she had her phone turned off because the message was never delivered.

The lack of contact with her only caused Hiro to worry more about Zero Two, so not knowing how she was fairing was literally killing him inside.

But Hiro also understood that she needed her distance. She needed time to recover from her lost like he had to as a child, and even then, she may never actually truly 'get over' her loss. Not a day went by where Hiro still didn't think of his parents. Sometimes they left a poignant and bitter sadness in his heart, and other times he'll just recall how lucky he'd been to have them in his life at all. He couldn't technically call it 'reopening an old wound' when that said wound has never been sealed to begin with. However, Hiro was doing his best to fare every day for _their_ sake. His family's; his loved ones.

It was the most he could do for them even when it was incredibly hard at times.

He could only patiently wait for Zero Two to eventually come out of her cave now. Just the thought of the state she may possibly be in frightened him because Hiro _knows_ what he was like when he first lost his parents. He was afraid that she'll push him away completely like he did with the adults around him at that time. That he'll lose yet another valuable person he wanted to keep close to him.

But to keep himself sane, he's been indulging in his side hobbies a little more so that his mind was not only focused on Zero Two. He likes learning about anthropology and ornithology, so he bought books concentrated on the study of both. He even added a book on the biology of flowers just out of mere interest and for something new for a change.

Kokoro loves the physiology of plants and flowers, so perhaps he'll grasp why his sister was so interested in this field. With his natural desire for knowledge, he was always up to learning about new things. It was something he hasn't indulged in for some years, but decided to pick up all of a sudden. He'll probably read some more after school since it was mostly what he did with the rest of his afternoons as of lately.

"...and then wham! I hit the Zombie Boss clean in the head with a hundred shots from both of my Mini Uzis, sending him to his destined one way trip to Hell!"

"What's a Mini Uzi?" Kokoro softly asked Zorome, who was describing how he finally got past an important battle in his video game which he'd been stuck on for days.

Hiro, who has played his fair amount of games as well, understood everything Zorome was spouting, but preferred to listen in on his siblings rather than be an actual participant in the conversation.

"It's basically a pistol that's sub-machine gun so you can take a hundred shots at once."

"Oh, but won't you run out of ammo quickly that way?"

"Well, yeah. But my character has a fast reload speed and I had plenty of ammo to restock on at the time, so everything turned out cool."

Hiro found himself smiling subconsciously as he listened to their exchange, having always found it interesting and a little bit pure when someone who wasn't as passionate about video games learned things from the ones in their family who were. Maybe once he felt up to it again, he could sit down with Zorome and Goro, and play a game he still owed them. It's been a few weeks since his last game with his brothers and even Miku who liked to play on the console from time to time.

"...Hiro." He heard from beside him, causing him to look down to meet his sister's eyes. Only she was too concentrated on something up ahead to return the gaze.

He had an idea of what she was about to say to him. Ichigo checks up on him a lot more frequently than usual now, but Hiro didn't have to question why. The boy also had the idea that Ichigo feels the worst out of all of them together. She'd said awful things to Zero Two on the same night she must've received the grave news.

Hiro only knew of this happening because Ichigo came forward with it, her guilt eating her up to the point that she confessed to confronting Zero Two back at the restaurant. She admitted to this when it was just the two of them alone after dinner had wrapped up, and everyone retreated to their rooms. Therefore, there was no backlash as there might've been had she came forward to her mistake to all of them.

Hiro wasn't mad at his sister over the revelation either, but he also couldn't look past the uncalled for things she said to Zero Two either. He could only advise her to apologize the next time they crossed paths if she was truly feeling so regretful.

"What is it, Ichigo?" Hiro asked, watching her only nod her head forward as if she was directing him to look someplace else. He turned his head to look forward as well, trying to follow the line of sight Ichigo's jade eyes had until they fell on their intended target. Light pink hair took up his entire view and then...

Hiro could feel his breath getting caught in his throat.

"Zero Two!" he yelled, without his brain stopping to reckon whether that was a good approach or not. However, it was too far late now seeing that he's already turned heads his way with his outburst. Hers included. The surprising fact was that he didn't care at all and that was because Hiro didn't see anyone else when _she_ was in the room.

She still acted as a gravitational pull that seemed to only bring him closer to her instead of further.

Before Hiro knew it, his feet were carrying him over to the girl at a rather fast pace. As if she would be beyond his fingers' reach all over again if he didn't act now. He didn't want her to pull away from him. He didn't want to be the person who allowed it to happen either.

Zero Two had stopped in her place, looking back at him with a bewildered look on her face at first. Only until he couldn't tell what emotion she was hiding from him underneath the curtains of her flush colored bangs. At the very least, she wasn't running away from him.

Hiro's feet slowed down as he took the last couple of steps towards her until they came to a complete halt, breathing a bit heavier now as he stood in front of her. He tried to make out the emotion on her face. She looked.. _lifeless_ and it made the blood coursing through Hiro's veins run cold because it was as if he was looking directly into the mirror.

"Zero Two... I'm really happy you came today," he told her sincerely, not even trying to hide his happiness which was present in his tone. Hiro has been waiting for her to reply to him since his hopes that she would one day come back to him never died. He held onto them just as tightly as he wished to hold onto her.

But even Hiro wouldn't have thought that she would return to school so soon after the funeral that was held only two days ago. For whatever reason she was here though, he was grateful.

"I mean... _I'm_ happy to see you. You haven't been returning my messages, so I was worried about you." He paused because he expected her to reply to that, but silence fell over them because she didn't. Hiro's turquoise eyes tried to look her over, but it was proven difficult to with Zero Two still hanging her head rather lowly.

"...How have you been?"

It was a dreaded question, but he knew it had to be asked. Hiro also understood well what her answer might be, but he couldn't help but feel obliged to ask about her state of mind. His stomach tingled anxiously now as he waited for her response that was slow to come. The silence continued and he couldn't tell what the girl was thinking at all.

"Dammit," Hiro then heard her mumble, taking him aback because this was the first time he's heard her use profanity. He wasn't shocked by the use of the word however, but because of the resentful tone it was used in.

"This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come back here," Zero Two suddenly lowly said to him, already turning around on her heel before Hiro could fully comprehend what was about to happen. No, she was about to pull away from him again, from everyone else around her and he couldn't let that happen. Not for his own sake, but her own.

Hiro understood how it felt to want to hole yourself up from the rest of the world; He still did. But he hypocritically didn't want to see Zero Two fall into the same mistakes he has. So, without thinking much of it, the boy reached out and gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist.

His mind took a pause when he noticed how much thinner it felt.

"I'm not in the mood for this, Hiro," the girl warned him despite having stopped in her tracks for him. However, she didn't look back at him.

This was meant to stress how much she didn't want to deal with him. While that realization hurt Hiro, he didn't let it show.

"Let go."

"Where are you going?" He asked her while respectfully complying with her wish, slowly removing his hand from around Zero Two's body.

She didn't immediately flee from him and that secretly made Hiro happy.

"What? ...I don't know. Anywhere that isn't home, or here."

So, she had nowhere specific to run and hide to? Perfect, this was a perfect opportunity for him then. As an idea quickly sprung up in his head, the muscles on Hiro's face slacked into a serious but passionate look.

"Then, let me take you someplace special."

It took a while for the other to reply to him, but when the girl finally did, it was only when she had her body partially turned towards him.

"...Don't you have your own classes to attend?"

Hiro shook his head.

"It'll be fine if I missed one day. Just please don't run off on your own again," He was asking– No, that wasn't nearly close to it. By now he was practically _pleading_ her to accept his invite.

He was not accustomed to the long pauses of silence in between Zero Two's responses, so it definitely unnerved him. Especially since he knew Zero Two was contemplating on whether to let him in, or continue to close him out, and the latter was more likely to be chosen than the former.

But even now, Zero Two still surprised him in unexpected ways.

"...Just for today," she quietly made her decision, eyes returning to the concrete beneath her white and clean sneakers. Although Zero Two's spirits were not nearly as up as they were the last time they were together, this was enough of a starting point for Hiro.

Therefore, he contentedly smiled over the decision she made. It meant it a lot to him that she was agreeing to this.

Now if he could do the most important thing here which was cheering Zero Two up if even by a small scale.

"Where to then?" Zero Two asked indifferently.

"Just wait. I'll lead the way."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The glass door let out a chime as he pushed it open, "We're here, Zero Two."

He brought her to a bakery that he was accustomed to stopping by from time to time considering how much of a sweet tooth Futoshi and Ichigo have. Kokoro also has a thing for baked goods, but more specifically for the freshly made pies. Meanwhile, he didn't have a particular taste for sugar, but Hiro could admit that it made a nice treat on the occasions he did decide to order something for himself.

After all, who could resist something that was so well made? Hiro preferred to go for the least sugary dessert, however, his sensitive taste buds unable to handle anything more.

He knew that the girl just behind him had a completely different preference though. So, the boy hoped that by taking her here, it would be the right place that would help her cheer up. Hiro hasn't forgotten how much Zero Two loves sweets since it was one of the very first personal facts he learned about her.

He held the door wide open for her to catch, not wishing for it to rudely close on her face but as a small punishment for his deed, Hiro had to ignore the tiny sparks Zero Two caused to fleetingly crawl along his skin when her hand brushed against his as she took the door from him. There... went those unfamiliar sensations again, but he didn't allow it to imbalance him.

He needed to focus on her feelings, not his own.

He pushed his jittery hands into his pockets, turning around to see emerald  
eyes curiously scanning every inch of the destination they've arrived at.

Good, she was interested.

That meant something to Hiro since Zero Two could've easily given him a harder time by not appearing the least bit interested in this place.

The muscles on her face never moved much however, so her facial features were still slacked into the same stoic state he found her in. Hiro could only hope that the sugary and edible contents here would help bring the deserved smile to her face.

"Come on," With a trusting smile on his face, Hiro guided her to a food buffet displayed neatly at the center of the bakery. A little over eight years ago, this place used to be a simple and small bakery, but now it's been completely reformed into both a bakery and an all-you-can-eat restaurant.

Hiro picked up a white, glass plate but handed it over to Zero Two first before he took one for himself. She slowly accepted the plate too, eyes already looking down at her many choices. Indeed there was a lot to choose from, leaving Hiro to wonder what and how much she would put on her plate.

It reigned from strawberry shortcakes, white chocolate and caramel nut cake, chocolate mousses, doughnut muffins, and plenty more. Hiro was contemplating on getting one simple slice of strawberry cake for now. He was never interested in this type of cake before, but after smelling Zero Two's fragrance that one night, the craving for it has been lingering on his tongue for a long time now.

After all, it was okay to go with something new for once, right?

Zero Two picked up one caramel-covered cake. Then another. Then, she added a third on top of that which was a dark chocolate cupcake this time. Hiro smiled at her selective choices in contrast to his one slice of cake which he carried in the center of his plate. There was white frosting between both layers and strawberry juices running thickly down its sides, but this was a small feat compared to the fancy and detailed appearance of her desserts.

They took a seat at an empty table that was nearby and dark brown in color, silver utensils already prepared in fine sophistication as they were wrapped in white, clean napkins for their arrival. Hiro placed his plate down before pulling his chair out from underneath the table to sit down in it. Across from him, Zero Two did the same but much to his dismay, she didn't pick up her silver fork from jump.

The more excited Zero Two he knew wouldn't waste a second to dig into her food, or so she's led him to believe. Instead of stuffing forkfuls of her sugary breakfast into her mouth, she sat there with her elbows resting against the wooden table, emerald irises staring down hard at her plate as if Zero Two was trying to achieve picking up her dessert with only her mind.

The comical image helped Hiro feel a bit easier about the peculiarity she was displaying to him, but Zero Two still looked very deeply lost in her own thoughts.

"Zero Two?" Hiro asked cautiously, trying to help the other's mind from venturing back to that dark place in her head.

He could tell his voice met her ears because she blinked twice after that, then slowly lifted her gaze up from her still plate to look someplace else in the restaurant. Hiro was concerned that she was deliberately trying not to make eye contact with him, but even more so about the likelihood that Zero Two wouldn't touch her food at all.

If she didn't eat, then that would make his attempts to cheer her up fruitless. Hiro wasn't afraid of trying though when his heart was truly in it.

"What's wrong?" Hiro asked, aware of the risk of her brushing him off. That didn't mean he wouldn't let her know that his ears are still available if she ever wished to open up to him sometime.

"Nothing," Zero Two muttered in a tone that still unsettled him, eyes returning back to her untouched food, but that was only temporary since she finally picked up her silver fork by its shaped handle.

"It's just that... When I was a little girl, I always had a dream to come into this place and have something from here. ...It's changed quite a lot since then though."

The tip of her fork sunk into her cake, taking half of its end before she rose the spoonful of caramel syrup and yellow cake to her mouth. A moan didn't leave her throat like the last time she tasted something delectable in his presence and Hiro sort of missed that perky part of her character. In no way did he think that with other, much dirtier intentions though.

He was compassionate to why she had a severe lack of self-expression this time. That aside, Hiro concentrated on the fact that he was learning information about her that he didn't know before.

"Really?" he asked, marveled by the coincidence of him bringing her to the very place she always wanted to come to since she was little.

Only Zero Two didn't look anything like someone who was experiencing their dream for the first time. Was it because she was no longer a little girl with big fantasies now? ..Or was it because she couldn't find it in herself to enjoy this considering the time in which this was occurring?

Both reasons were plausible.

It was another reason why he wanted to take her away from the school environment and sit down with her. He'd be lying if Hiro said that was his only motivation though since as much as he cared for her, Hiro also missed her a lot.

He genuinely thought she deserved a break from the chaos that was happening around her though and tried to help her receive that by distracting her with things Hiro knew she liked. Perhaps others have tried this same method before he came in weeks later, but what was he if he didn't at least try?

His knowledge in this field was unfortunately limited however, so that was how they ended up in the bakery they're in now. He only knew that she liked unhealthy sweets and the boy just happened to have luck on his side today to have chosen the right place.

Perhaps on the inside Zero Two was smiling? Maybe she wanted to, but just has forgotten how.

"That's amazing," Hiro continued. "Well, what do you think now that you're here?"

It was odd that he was carrying the conversation because she wouldn't, but he didn't mind having to do so at all. He just wanted to keep her sociable.

Her reply was a little less slow to come this time.

"...It's not bad. ...It's exactly how I expected it to be, I think," she replied without waiting to finish chewing her food first. It was an insignificant thing, but it was one of Zero Two's traits which Hiro has come to like. Therefore, he couldn't help but smile purely at her when he noticed the reappearance of it.

"I see."

It was probably a faint memory, so her uncertainty made sense. As for Hiro, it was very difficult to care about food and its taste when you weren't interested in it in the first place. Everything tended to taste the same to you, so hearing Zero Two have some like for it was nice.

Hiro took a bite out of his strawberry shortcake now, sharing nearly the same emotions as she when the taste exploded in his mouth. It was more than 'not bad', because even someone who was not a sugar fanatic could tell when something was very good in quality.

"Not bad at all," he agreed once his food was swallowed. "Futoshi, Kokoro, and Ichigo order things from here more than I do. They've always loved sweets the most."

"Hmm..." Zero Two replied with only that, and while her tone sounded completely bored and as if she was only responding because she felt obligated to, Hiro couldn't help but smile across at her.

She was cute even when she looked utterly disinterested. Was he a weirdo to think that?

He didn't hate the way she was blunt about her emotions. Right now Hiro wanted _that_ Zero Two to be pulled out of her completely, so that she wouldn't continue to hide her wounded heart from him. Hiro couldn't force her to however and never once thought to. These things had to happen at their own pace, meaning the most Hiro could do was try to slowly push her into a place of comfort around him.

"You love sweets too, so maybe you'll love this place as well the more you come. If you want to return that is," Hiro suggested with his lips tugging into a smile. She didn't respond, but that was okay with him since seeing her continue to eat was a pleasant substitute.

Now that he was watching her take smaller to bigger bites into her dessert, his attention was brought to her thin frame. Zero Two was much skinnier than she'd been when he last saw her, this telling Hiro that the girl hasn't been eating properly.

No wonder her wrist felt so frail around his hand when he grabbed it earlier. Her decrease in her weight wasn't too drastic, but the fact that she lost any pounds at all still concerned him. Hiro knew the possibilities of this being her only meal for the day was high too.

But how did he voice those concerns to her aloud? Hiro was stumped. He didn't intend to sound like a worried parent to her, only a worried friend.

However, he also would never forgive himself if he were to just stand here in silence while he watched someone he cared for suffer. Hiro lifted his eyes up from her arm, certain turquoise eyes gazing across at her inattentive face instead.

"Zero Two..."

Hiro saw it.

A hesitant look swept over her eyes which prevented her from immediately meeting his gaze. Why Zero Two looked so unsure, he didn't know but he did need to get these thoughts of his out there. Then, maybe he could learn about hers in return.

"Just so you know... You can talk to me about anything, Zero Two," Hiro told her. When those words of his were put out there, her gaze quickly dropped back down to her cake which she stopped eating to prod and poke at it with the end of her fork.

It seemed she didn't want to hear this, but that was okay. If Hiro wanted to shut down at the first sign of her drawing back from him, he wouldn't have made this attempt in the first place. He'd just do his best to pull her back into him. Of course, Zero Two could do it at her own pace, so as long as eventually it happened.

And for it to, his feelings needed to be heard loud and clear by her.

"I know you may not want to talk to me about these things. I understand how you feel, but I don't-"

Her eyes shot back up at him, but only to narrow sharply at him. " _Do_ you understand?" she asked rhetorically, clearly implying something that Hiro wasn't oblivious enough to let go over his head.

Her words stopped him mid-thought and the courage he'd done his best to work up quickly exited him, shoulders sinking in defeat.

The silence that followed laid on their skin like poison. There was only the casual clinking of metal and glass from around them, and distant voices of people they weren't familiar with.

Then... after thinking long and hard about his next move, Hiro came to a definite decision and built his confidence back up to speak to her again. This one would take all of the courage his nerves could possibly muster.

"...I lost my parents when I was seven."

He saw a glimpse of an emotion he's never seen on her before soften her eyes for a brief second, but then they turned lifeless again and refused to look back at him.

"It was to a drunk driver. I was in the car with them at the time, but unfortunately I was the only one who survived the accident."

It was a foreign feeling... Describing the traumatic memories that still played in his head whenever he closed his eyes aloud to another person. Furthermore, a person he did not know as personally yet decided to open up to quicker than his own family members. If they knew, they would probably be hurt but... The circumstances were different here.

They already knew his background; how he ended up in the same foster home as them. Hiro also knew their stories inside and out, but Zero Two knew nothing about him. He wanted her to understand that their worlds weren't as far apart as they seemed on the surface.

Or was he naive for feeling this way in the first place?

Maybe they _are_ still very different from one another, but even if that was so, Hiro still understood the same pains she was carrying. He didn't have to be raised specifically like Zero Two has to comprehend the agony and grief of losing someone important to you. That was why he was willing to risk feeling vulnerable in front of everyone and shed a layer of his shell for her.

As of now, Zero Two was the first and only person outside of his family he's ever let in on his personal life.

"After their deaths, I found it hard to include myself in circles and get close to people again. That still hasn't changed much for me even if I have my siblings around me now. They distract me from my own bad thoughts whenever they're around, but whenever I'm alone... Those thoughts come back."

He sighed.

Hiro hadn't intended to vent to her, but the words seemed to have naturally left his mouth on their own. As if the boy's heart has been waiting for the moment he would share his deepest and most private feelings to another set of ears. Even now, he didn't reveal _everything_ to Zero Two, but this was a very huge stepping stone for the boy.

"I do know how you're hurting right now, Zero Two. That's why I want to be there for you if you'd allow me to. As your friend, let me shoulder your burdens too."

With his words finished, Hiro gazed back at her to see how she was taking all of this information he just laid across for her, but even after all of what he just said, she still wouldn't make eye contact with him.

Perhaps even if he poured part of his heart out to her, Zero Two still wouldn't understand the place he was coming from. Hiro wasn't telling her these things about him for her sympathy, or out of his own interest, but because he hoped that the other would hear him out and return the favor.

Therefore, to have Zero Two still say nothing to him after lending her his heart like that really stung. Feeling rejected now, Hiro didn't wish to say anything more since he believed it wouldn't get him far. Zero Two clearly didn't want to listen to his story, but he couldn't force her to care.

He tried his best today, but unfortunately ended up getting nowhere with her. Quietly, he continued to eat his cake, munching on large chunks of freshly baked strawberries while the girl did the same with her cupcake she's moved on to.

For the first time, the silence between them wasn't as comfortable as it'd been in the past.

Ironically, she finished faster than he did despite having a lot more on her plate than he. Hiro could only begin to imagine how starved she'd been feeling before he brought her here now.

As soon as her plate was clean, Zero Two stood up from her seat with her dish in her hands. For a second, Hiro was worried that the girl was already leaving without a word of goodbye.

"Wait. Are you leaving already?" Hiro asked, fork hovered over his mouth because he'd been on his last piece of cake.

"I'm going for seconds," Zero Two informed him plainly before walking away to indeed head towards the still stocked up buffet, putting a large muffin and another miscellaneous treat on her plate this time.

A small smile formed on Hiro's face once he recognized how she was no longer ignoring her body's hunger and was voluntarily putting something in her stomach. At least one of his goals was a success today.

* * *

 **February 7, 2028**

 **9:41 PM**

Hiro flipped a page in his book. It was past dinner and like always, the boy liked to get a good read in before he turned off the lights in his room and hit the bed. The current section he was on was interesting. Strelitzia—the bird of paradise flower—lack natural insect pollinators. Therefore, plants in this genus principally need hand pollination in order to achieve a set seed if their habitat isn't populated with sunbirds.

"'Tropical and warm places'... 'Freedom and joy'," Hiro muttered to himself as his eyes absorbed the print on the page, accompanied with a picture that showed the plant which had a slight resemblance to a bird.

The way the apricot petals tower above the tips of its long stalks, stretched out like a bird about to take flight. Then, there was its royal blue and pointy sheath which helped create the image of a bird's head with its long beak protruding from its face. Maybe this is where its symbolization for freedom stemmed from?

Keeping the image of a bird in his head, Hiro could definitely feel a different kind of emotion forming within him than he had while looking at others. Was it because of the bright adjectives tied to its famous name?

Hm...

Given that Strelitizas develop in tropical areas, there definitely wouldn't be any natural ones in the urban area that was Mistilteinn. Although, the flower shop down the street does have exotic flowers from time to time. This he only knows through Kokoro who is a regular customer.

Perhaps they had them and then, he could see them in person. Somewhere along that train of thought, Hiro started to think about the different seasons and the fact that he doesn't have a favorite he could say from on the top of his head like others.

However, if he was to choose then he'd say fall. It was always a perfect balance between hot and cold, and the warm colors of autumn always looked so beautiful to his eyes.

Another thought then crossed Hiro's mind. One that filled him with the sudden impulse to reach out for his phone which was lying beside his book on the study desk, opening his last messages with Zero Two.

The chat log lacked consistent conversations since she's yet to respond to his messages from several weeks ago, but after the time he spent with her earlier, he was no longer waiting for her to.

Hiro made the decision to not stand back and watch her suffer. He'll reach out to her as many times as she needed him to even if Zero Two thought she didn't.

 **"What's your favorite season?"**

Hiro placed his phone down right after sending the message. He didn't expect an immediate answer from her tonight, or in general, with the luck he's been having lately. So, it made the hairs on his neck stand up to hear the chime of a received text message ten minutes later. When he turned his phone back over to look at the notification, his heart skipped a beat.

 **"Why are you asking me that?"**

She actually replied! Unused to talking to her through text, he almost felt too nervous to respond to Zero Two as ironic as that was. However, Hiro couldn't comprehend what made talking to her here harder than it was talking face-to-face when it should very much be the opposite.

Regardless of his sudden shift in mood, Hiro's fingers typed away to get his reply in before he took too long and missed his opportunity to talk to Zero Two at all.

 **"Well... Don't laugh at me, but I was reading my book about flowers. And I thought of you."**

There was a long pause without any word from the other on her end and Hiro gulped, paranoia rising by the second over a mistake he may or may have not committed.

 _Was that too lame? Perhaps she was too busy laughing at him now..._

But then another chime came through and Hiro removed his hand from over his eyes to look at his phone's screen much too eagerly.

 **"...Was that supposed to be a cheesy pickup line?"**

 _What?_ Hiro's eyes enlarged before they read over his own message twice to try to see how the other could've possibly misinterpreted his words, before it then became so obvious to him why Zero Two had gotten that out of his message. He hadn't intended to sound creepy at all though, so the boy rushed to clear up the slight misunderstanding between them by sending his fingers all over his keyboard.

"I swear it wasn't! I was reading about Strelitzia and then I started to think about the tropical areas they could possibly grow in Japan."

Her response came within three minutes now.

 **"Oh? Don't tell me you're actually a nerd for nature..."**

Hiro felt his heart drop to the bottom of his stomach and this time, he was unsure of what to say to her. Without even meaning to, he managed to mess up and make himself look bad in front of Zero Two. What if she didn't like this part of him?

 _Ding._ Another message followed her previous one.

 **"...But that's really adorable. My favorite season is spring."**

God, what a relief. Hiro let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd even been holding until now. How easily his mind could become engrossed in other things when it came to Zero Two. He almost forgot the initial question he asked her until she answered, but now that they were back on track and not focusing on him, Hiro felt right back at home.

The boy couldn't tell if it was just him seeing what he wanted to or not, but Zero Two did sound a tiny bit perkier now compared to this morning. He wouldn't have suspected that the same person who told him to go away and wouldn't make eye contact with him at the bakery would willingly respond to his messages in such short time and compliment him.

The thought that Zero Two was slowly coming around and stepping out of her shell one foot at a time surfaced in his head, and Hiro couldn't help but smile down at his phone as if the girl would see it from the same screen she was most likely looking back at right now.

 **"Spring is a nice choice. The cherry blossoms are normally in bloom this time of year."**

 **"I know... I usually go to see them every year. But..."**

The message that followed this one was noticeably slower to come. Hiro wondered what she was thinking of? Then, it suddenly came:

 **"Nevermind."**

That was when an idea struck him.

 **"Let's see the cherry blossoms together, Zero Two."**

Again, her message took a while to come through and while it did make Hiro feel nervous, he also felt confident in his proposal. This was something he definitely wanted to do with her.

 **"We don't have to do that. It's not a big deal."**

 **"I don't mind. I actually wanted to see them myself as well, so it'll be fine to go together, right?"**

Hopefully, he didn't sound as if he was pushing this onto her. The last thing Hiro wanted to do was force her into situations she wasn't mentally or emotionally ready for. Her response time has gotten a lot slower now, but he was a patient person.

His message was shown as delivered and read by the other, but Zero Two was not typing at all. He placed his phone down for now and returned his eyes to his book, trying to find the place he left off at.

Has she rejected his offer and already turned for bed?

 **"You make it so hard to ignore you."**

Another reply of Zero Two's quickly followed that one.

 **"Fine, I guess."**

After finalizing the details with the other, Hiro finally put down his phone and returned to his book with an excited smile on his face.

.

.

.

 **February 8, 2028**

 **3:01 PM**

The meeting spot was at the front gates of their vacant school—Frank High School—and when Hiro reached the place, he saw Zero Two whom was already there and standing underneath an unchanged camphor tree for shade. As he neared her, Hiro can tell that she was dressed in fitted dark blue jeans made out of denim, what appeared to be a regular white tee with a light red jacket thrown atop of it, and clean white sneakers.

Now in the invigorating beginning of February, its gotten a lot warmer outside, so he was dressed for the new season with his own denim bottoms and a simple shirt. The rays of the sun burned a bit more harshly than the breeze outside was willing to counterbalance, so seeing that Zero Two had chosen to come out here in a jacket at all made him question her intentions.

Even if it was a nice balance of warmth and coolness out here, he didn't want to see her burn up because of her inappropriate outerwear. However, Hiro decided that it wasn't important enough to question at the moment. The girl would know her own body better than he could attempt to.

"Zero Two!" he said her name with what was could've sounded like great elation, but it dorkily came out as breathless instead because Hiro, for some reason, decided to run all the way here.

Despite his breath failing to catch up with him, a large and unbreakable smile was still plastered on his face. When his feet stopped him just in front of the other, that was when he started to take his regulated breaths again.

Unlike him, she doesn't return his smile with one of her own. The corners of her mouth don't even move an inch, still flattened into that indolent straight line. It caused Hiro's smile to falter just slightly, but he did his best to not let it shake his mood. If they were both down in the dumps, this would make a rather depressing afternoon. Hiro wanted to do his best to be the sun which would break through the parting grey clouds amidst the thunderstorm happening in Zero Two's head, drying and warming all of the areas the raindrops reached.

He needed to be understanding, but at the same time, a caring friend.

"Oh, you made it. Let's go, then," Zero Two suggested indifferently and began to walk away without even waiting on him to follow her.

Hiro couldn't help but receive the idea that she was in a rush here. Was that because she had someplace more important to be, or was this a method to get this over with as soon as possible?

Considering the latter made him feel crushed, but he wouldn't have anyone to blame but himself if Zero Two really didn't wish to be out here. He only insisted on this because he learned that she liked to see the cherry blossoms every year, and he wanted to make that wish of hers still come true. With the thing that has recently happened to her, Hiro felt even more strongly about maintaining her desire. Otherwise, he could tell that she wouldn't have gone cherry blossom sightseeing on her own.

At the same time, he hoped that maybe bringing her into an environment she genuinely enjoyed to be in could provide a sort of comfort he couldn't supply within his own abilities.

It only took a few steps to catch up with Zero Two and soon he was side by side with her, four inches apart from their bodies touching. He wasn't sure if he should try to stir up a conversation with her, but nothing would come to his head at this moment either way. Therefore, he settled for walking silently alongside her as they headed towards the Jian Park.

Hiro's head shifted every now and then to sneak glimpses at Zero Two's face. Whether she didn't notice or did but just didn't point it out to him, he wouldn't know.

The way the girl carried herself made it evident that she would rather be someplace else than here. Or she just made it seem this way with her outside appearance, her hands resting deep in the pockets of her light jacket and the bored expression sitting impassively on her face.

They weren't by the prunus trees yet, so there was still time for her frown to turn upside down.

"What is it?" He heard her ask and only then does he snap out of his slight fixation on her.

Hiro is confused at first, but as if she could read his thoughts right off his face, she continued and this time while looking at him from the corner of her eyes.

"You keep stealing glances at me. I think you really are a pervert after all," Zero Two concluded jokingly, but her serious tone didn't quite help the humor in her words be heard.

Not without her usual bouncy personality there to make everything she said sound sweet.

"That's not it at all!"

Hiro was reasonably quick to freak out and defend himself. After all, being called a pervert by a girl wasn't exactly the best feeling in the world. Even worse, out here in the open where anyone could hear their conversation.

He couldn't comprehend why she would think this in the first place, but then quickly remembered how Zero Two teased him about staring at her lips while she was eating the ice cream he treated her to back then. That hadn't been the case at the time, but it still didn't look good for Hiro now. Therefore, that alongside getting caught staring at her multiple times when it was just the two of them together added fuel to the already existing fire.

"Sorry, I won't look anymore," he told her earnestly and looked off to his side, Hiro's face becoming disheartened where he believed she couldn't see it.

It was better if he didn't make Zero Two feel more uncomfortable than she already was, this being why he quickly apologized for his actions instead of dragging this out any further than it needed to be. But most of all, Hiro didn't want to have to admit to Zero Two that he was only staring because he was worried about her.

"Hmm?" Zero Two hummed, eyeing him one last time from her peripheral before directing her eyes back forward.

Her hands came out of her pockets, but only so she could cross them against her chest. The awkward silence between them resumed, raising Hiro's awareness of the obstacle that still existed in their slowly forming relationship.

Although, as the infamous and recognizable statue of Jian Park came into view from a distance away, Hiro knew they've made it. It was a large sculpture that was made out of cement and was hard for anyone's eyes to miss, the statue representing a two-headed bird in mid-flight.

Along with it were those same prunus trees that have long abandoned its green color and turned into something much more beautiful to the eye.

The sunlight peeked through the holes of the trees which wooden branches were peppered in freshly flourished cherry blossoms, casting a large shadow over each tree. Those provided shade for those who came near enough to either escape the radiance of the sun, or admire its beauty up-close.

Signs of the previous season have entirely vanished. The white blanket of snow that would once coat and bury the whole park has now melted into the soil, or evaporated by the works of a warmer season. Now the white all over Mistilteinn were replaced by vibrant and lush green field of grass, swaying in tune with the calm wind. The fallen pinkish-hued petals either billowed with the breeze, or clothed the concrete underneath. The sight made simply passing by a tree feel like a pleasurable experience.

It was still stunning to Hiro, even though the sight of cherry blossoms is something he's gotten accustomed to seeing every year. His eyes weren't very focused on the flowers themselves however, but on the onlooker beside him instead.

Surrounded by the landscape of a white and roseate colored scenery, Hiro couldn't help but begin to believe that Zero Two was a part of the view herself. As if she was the embodiment of spring and not the cherry blossoms that grew from the prunus trees here.

He can tell that her rich green eyes were strongly focused on the sprouted cherry blossoms, white and silk petals with blush pink dispersed all along the branches. Despite her teasing of his hobby from last night, Zero Two seemed to have a fascination for nature too.

Hiro couldn't blame her when such captivating and beautiful things were put in front of them. He also didn't mind abandoning the purpose of their outing just to watch _her_ enjoy them instead, a smitten smile subconsciously approaching on the boy's face as he did so.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Zero Two says solemnly, her eyes holding a forlorn emotion he couldn't see but could hear clearly in the tone of her voice.

"Yes," Hiro responded without difficulty, but couldn't say for sure if it was the flowers that he meant, or her.

...No, he _is_ sure. Zero Two definitely is more beautiful than spring itself, but he wasn't ready to say that aloud yet.

Hiro eventually became self-aware of his outright staring though, realizing that it wouldn't help himself look less of a pervert if he was caught ogling at her out in the open like this. So, he moved his gaze to the same tree she was closely observing... Or, cherishing perhaps?

Due to the nearness of his current position, Hiro could see now how she looked at these trees as if they were her entire life. As if they were much more than what they appeared to be on the surface. What that was, Hiro couldn't answer nor could he say that there was anything to speculate in the first place. It was possible he was just overthinking things.

Whether the sight in front of them had any particular meaning to Zero Two or not, Hiro was still aware of the bittersweet nature behind these cherry blossoms. The boy reached out now and slid his thumb over the petals belonging to a lone cherry blossom out of many. It had natural silk to it which made it feel soft underneath his fingertips, but that was expected.

Hiro tried to maintain a certain kind of gentleness while admiring one of the planet's many natural beauties to ensure that he doesn't break it. As if he were holding the delicacy of someone else's life in his hand. Then, his words leave his mouth before he could stop to think about them:

"...They often say that these cherry blossoms represent the fragility and beauty of life itself considering how quickly they bloom, but then begin to wilt away. That can be taken in an ominous way if you think about how short our lives are as humans."

When Hiro's thumb abandoned the petals beneath his touch and his head looked over at the girl standing beside him, Hiro noticed then how her gaze has lowered to the concrete beneath their feet, Zero Two's head facing the opposite direction of him.

It took the boy until he backtracked over his own words to realize the careless slip he made, and never more than now did he want to kick himself. If he wrapped this up quickly, maybe it wouldn't be too late to cover up his slip of the tongue?

"...But they also personify rebirth. I find it bittersweet, ...but hopeful."

His thoughts lingered to his own parents now. He'd lost them several years ago, but every little thing still reminded Hiro of them. He's not certain if he would be better off forgetting about them, or continuing to carry his memories of them for the rest of his life. One brought him pain, but the other reassured him that he was never alone since the very beginning. It was just another arduous, but amiable aspect of life.

Zero Two doesn't respond to any of what he said, but Hiro didn't expect her to. He touched a sore subject and even though it was unintentional, it most likely left a cut as deep in her heart as it did with his. A wound the pair fought their hardest to not acknowledge.

They continue to walk down the pathway and savored every tree they neared, but Zero Two lingering behind him a lot more slowly became noticeable at a certain point. Hiro didn't say anything about this however, but he did make the silent effort to slow down his own pace whenever she started to do the same. Her behavior made him sympathetic towards how she could be feeling right now, but antsy because it seemed as if the other wanted to break off from him at any second.

Hiro wasn't sure what he'd do if she actually did. Zero Two had every right to be alone, but Hiro wasn't fully adept in emotions yet to understand how much isolation was too much. His background knowledge relied heavily on his own experience, but he and Zero Two weren't necessarily the same person. ...What did Zero Two _really_ need then?

After a while of circling the whole area, their legs grew sore so Hiro led them to the wooden bench closest to them, settled between two withering yet beautiful trees. Hiro now wished he'd brought along a snack with him, imagining the other would be hungry by now. He did have his wallet on him though, so were Zero Two to ask him to treat her again, he'll be better prepared this time.

A small part of him wished she would just so Hiro could know that traces of the Zero Two he met not too long ago still existed inside of her. Unfortunately, the request never came from her mouth. Despite that, it was still peacefully quiet with the sounds of singing birds and the laughter of children filling the clean air.

Zero Two then did something Hiro wouldn't have expected her to all day: Speak.

"...When I was a child, he used to take me out here every spring. I never got to see the cherry blossoms on my own before, so I fell in love with them at first sight. I felt instantly that they were the prettiest things in the world."

He... She meant Werner Frank. Understanding that he was hearing something very important here, Hiro listened even more sharply and quietly as to not interrupt Zero Two.

"I had a few other things that I've always found pretty as a kid, things I always wanted to experience with my own eyes and hands. Getting to see cherry blossoms up-close was only one of many. ...So, I looked forward to the springtime every year because I knew that was when Werner would take me out to the park."

Her head tilted upwards to the sky, bangs hiding her eyes like a curtain as she looked up at something he couldn't see. Hiro has done this enough times to know that she wasn't gazing at the clouds out of pure interest.

"I... was extremely sheltered as a little girl." A dry chuckle escaped her lips. "I guess that's hardly changed now, but that old man always did his best to introduce me to everything he could. Things he thought I should care about. ...I guess his efforts weren't in vain in the end."

Hiro understood the gravity of the current situation now. This was far more than a simple outing between two friends. Not only was this a place that was significant to her, this was also her first time seeing the cherry blossoms without the one person she always saw them with.

This entire time, Zero Two had most likely been musing over her memories with him. He was doing his best to help her, but still understood such little it seemed. Her mourning was similar to the way he dealt with the passing of his parents, but unlike his wounds that have had time to heal, hers were still fresh and bleeding out.

The one who was silently crying for help here was Zero Two.

"I..." She started and Hiro's eyes widened in fear because her voice had noticeably turned shaky even while uttering the single word.

That was the moment in which Zero Two stopped talking altogether. She was most likely refusing to finish what she had intended to tell him out of fear of her voice cracking in the progress. He knew enough to know that _not_ talking was how others hid their pain the best. It was how he still hid his.

Her head hung lowly now and her gaze dropped to her lap which consisted of nothing but her curled up fists. Zero Two's long locks of hair hid the sorrow on her face, as well as the small tear that overflowed from one eye and traveled slowly down her cheek.

Hiro doesn't need to see it but he can tell from her posture and her body language that she's about to break. Then, the small _sniff_ he hears from her confirmed that Zero Two already has.

Hiro's first instinct is to freak out, unsure of what to do now that she was crying. He's been waiting for this moment in which she would open up to him, but ironically, the boy knew not a single thing about how to deal with the full package. Zero Two's troubles were far from a burden to him, Hiro was just afraid of slipping up from here on out.

Perhaps he took too long to decide on what to do for her however because Zero Two doesn't allow him any more time to act, or say anything to her. Instead, she turned her body fully away from him and rose the cuff of her jacket to her face in secrecy, most likely wiping another fresh tear away.

"I should leave," she muttered hastily, but it didn't come out as cold as her tone had been before. She sounded as if she was barely hanging on now, her shell only seconds away from collapsing due to all the cracks that were forming at a rapid rate. If she sat here a second longer, her heart would definitely become bare.

And then suddenly, Hiro didn't need to take a second longer for him to make up his mind. He knew what he needed to do, what he needed to tell her. Zero Two was hurt in the same mental and emotional ways he was. She was in need of a hand to reach out to her that she couldn't yet see.

The girl stood up from the bench and managed to take about five steps away from Hiro, but he quickly closed the distance between them with three larger one. His fingers wrapped around her thin wrist; firmly but not too roughly. It was just enough so that he could stop Zero Two in her tracks and then quickly force her body to turn back around to him.

It all happened in a second. Hiro pulled Zero Two into his awaiting open arms, wrapping around her body tightly but comfortably enough for the two of them. He didn't know that it was the first embrace she's had since the day of the incident, but also the first embrace she's ever been given for as long as Zero Two can remember.

Zero Two doesn't know what to do and because she's stunned by this affection from him, she remained stiff as a doll around his limbs. Then the awareness hit her and her first instinct was to pull away from Hiro.

"Let go," she told him lowly with frustration building in the back of her voice, but the girl can't say for sure if it's truly pinned at Hiro. There were too many things they were and always has been pinned at.

As her vision quickly become blurrier from the more tears that that were forming in her eyes, Zero Two tried to pull back from Hiro's arms so she wouldn't be around him when they tilted over.

She didn't want him, or anyone for that matter to see. However, Hiro surprised her with his unusual assertiveness by pressing her even closer to his body.

"I'm not going to leave you all alone!" Hiro professed in clear earshot of her, disregarding anyone nearby who could pick up on their theatrics.

"Why?!"

His protest frustrated her, but out of confusion more than anything. Zero Two just couldn't understand why he cared so much about her. Why he couldn't leave her alone, why he kept reaching out to her.

Why... He made it even more difficult for her to quit him.

"Because you're important to me, Zero Two! So, don't run off on your own again! I'm right here for you. I won't go anywhere, that's a promise!" Hiro elaborated, making it very clear for her to understand now.

Zero Two didn't know why, but those words of his made all the fight inside her body slowly leave. She's back at not knowing what to do, so she just stopped thinking altogether and closed her eyes lids. Behind them, her tears continued to burst forth and ran down her face, meeting at her chin and then dripping down to stain the other's shoulder.

She doesn't embrace Hiro back, but he keeps her body warm and in a tight lock regardless of so. With his hand resting against the middle of her back and the other wrapped around her waist, Hiro held her like nobody else ever had.

Her cries started off gentle and quiet, but then they became heavier and louder once her heartache reached its peak. When her sobs that wrenched his heart broke free, that was when one of Hiro's hands decided to come to the back of her head and slowly pushed her face into his shoulder. Considering how she was two inches taller than him, Hiro had to bring her down to him.

And only this time did Zero Two finally accept the other's affection. The deeper she fell into her despair, the tighter against his body Hiro held her. The boy did not mind at all that his shirt was becoming soaked from her seemingly endless amount of tears. He even pulled her head in closer when she turned her tear-stained face into the crook of his neck, understandably wishing to hide it from those looking in on them.

The girl has cried to herself many times before today, but only now did it feel as if she had someone catching her as she fell. Maybe Zero Two didn't want it, but her heart needed it. It couldn't be any more transparent than now.

He didn't question her nor did he shame her. He comforted her with the love and attention Zero Two didn't realize she still yearned from another. Perhaps deep down, she never outgrew the little girl with childish desires inside of her heart. Right now Zero Two couldn't feel any more like one, but at this moment, she couldn't care less how she looked. Her walls have involuntarily come down and now Hiro was seeing every ugly aspect about her, but he didn't comment on a single thing.

He just allowed her to throw all of her pain at him and took it quietly. He rubbed his hand in calming circles against her back and seemingly cradled her, not caring for any curious eyes that looked at the rather pathetic looking duo.

All he cared about was her.

Witnessing Zero Two in such a vulnerable and ridden state caused Hiro's own eyes to prick with wateriness, but they didn't spill over. For her sake, Hiro decided to be her strength in her time of need even if she were to refuse him tomorrow.

Hiro was now more than certain that what he wanted to do was to stay by Zero Two's side and continue to do things like this with her.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

From then on, he kept in close contact with Zero Two and they began to see each other in person every other day. They still spoke even on the days they didn't meet up whether it was through a call, or exchanged messages. He hasn't persuaded her to return to school yet. Zero Two hasn't tried to ever since that one time for some reason, but he doesn't try to push it on her.

He's only made the suggestion for her to, but respected her space enough to let her move at her own pace. Hiro was just thankful that she's allowed him to be by her side more closely throughout this and that he was no longer on the end of unknown.

Bit by bit, Hiro tries to help her forget the memories she doesn't want to relive even if it's only temporarily. He's not sure it works, he's nearly certain it doesn't but... He does get to see her smile every now and then, and that counted for something.

It lacks the usual brightness and warmth of her normal smile, but he found this one just as beautiful because she's doing something she wasn't doing before. She's _trying_. Zero Two was on her way there even if slowly; she just needed time.

They all did.


	7. Lavender Hyacinths

**February 19, 2028**

 **11:10 AM**

The buzz of several voices speaking at once surrounded her, all belonging to each their own conversations which Zero Two had no interest in. Some were poorly hushed whispers and others spoke as loud as they wished to without any regard of eavesdroppers.

She sat at her assigned desk in her classroom, elbows propped up against the refined wooden desk just below them. Zero Two looked out the large window beside her seat disinterestedly, watching a blue jay glean the seeds of a cherry blossom.

She never paid much attention to her classes, or the gossip passed around in school. Zero Two preferred to study at home alone and then pass all her classes by the end of the school year. As a result, her grades always dropped over the semester because of her poor attendance and late work. But when exams neared, she always came first out of everyone in her class. This never failed to surprise others or make them completely misunderstand her.

Zero Two didn't understand why her old man never pulled her out of the stupid school. It didn't suit her style, but she assumed it was because he owned the damn place. Even now, she was here against her will since her grades were pummeling even harder now. Her guardians were annoying her about them and the only way to get them to stop was to solve the problem.

However, the need to dissociate was stronger than ever today.

Zero Two could only hear her name on people's lips. People she didn't know personally whether they were her own classmates. She never took the time to sit down and put a name to each face that all looked the same to her in her eyes.

" _Isn't that...?_ "

" _Huh, so she finally showed her face._ "

" _Did you hear about-_ "

" _Selfish bitch. She didn't even attend her own father's funeral._ "

She pretended not to notice, pretended not to care when deep inside... Zero Two always did a little more than she was willing to admit to herself. It was more than a little to be truthful, but she didn't have the power to make the world stop pretending to care about her for a second.

Pretending to care about _them_.

What she lacked now was the drive to argue against others. Before, she hated how people would use her name so loosely and allowed it to break her thin patience which sometimes made a verbal situation astray into a physical one.

It was odd that she felt nothing now. Was her heart becoming hollow? Where she wanted to feel anger and disgust, there was another loud voice in the emptiness of her head that told her she fully deserved everything thrown her way.

The relieving sound of the lunch bell was her benediction. Zero Two slowly stood up from her seat while pocketing her small music player into her skirt before she left her desk. As students hustled out of the room and all headed down the same corridor, she took an opposite path that would eventually take her to the courtyard of the school.

The area was well polished with its freshly trimmed grass and the fallen cherry blossom petals disbursed all over the ground only helped to make the courtyard look more appealing than usual. She ignored the benches where students would often take their lunch to and walked straight towards a spot behind the school where the sun didn't meet.

Zero Two preferred the rooftop since it was easiest to get away from everyone else there after school, but unfortunately, it was a popular hotspot for students to have their lunch during this time. Therefore, the girl knew that was the last place she wanted to be when she sought total isolation.

Zero Two took a seat on the bench that was cold to the touch, not minding the dark shadow that was cast over her. It helped her feel unnoticed even if it was still likely that students could walk around to this area at any given time. So, she took out her music player from inside her pocket and then untangled her earbuds quickly.

After that was done, Zero Two then pushed each white bud into ears and leaned her head back until the back of the bench caught her head. Without looking, her thumb hit 'play' and she gently sat the device down on her lap, then proceeded to cross one ankle over the other.

As the music flowed into her ears, Zero Two's eyes looked up at the vast sky above her head. Sitting here like this was as pleasant as things could possibly get for her. While it didn't soothe the ache in her heart, it did make her feel a little at ease in this hell.

She ignored the light rumbling of her stomach. It was not that she wasn't hungry, but because as of lately she hasn't been able to stomach anything. Her body wouldn't allow her to hold any of her meals for long despite them being very light. Therefore, what was the point of trying?

It was easier for Zero Two to ignore her body's appetite and even more so when she had her earbuds in, concentrating on the soft music instead. As the sound rushed in and out of her body, and as the tempo elevated her senses. Working together at once, she could feel her waves of concerns slowly coming to a still but only momentarily.

Zero Two knew her peace had lasted only shortly when she picked up the sound of several footsteps approaching her at once. The soft soled flats made them light, but still audible to the ear.

Zero Two slowly reopened her lids and looked to the side without turning her head, her eyes recognizing the figures of five bodies within her peripheral. She didn't spare them another glance however, looking away just as soon as she spotted them.

The girl wasn't pretending to not have noticed them as it might've seemed. She simply just didn't care for their presence at all. They were each holding onto trays of food, so judging by the looks of it, they would walk past her and ignore her to find someplace to eat. Unfortunately, she couldn't be any more wrong.

Without lifting her head up, Zero Two could see in her vision that the small group stopped directly in front of her. Raising her head only confirmed her suspicion.

"What is it?" the girl asked apathetically, making it very clear to the group of five that she wasn't asking out of genuine interest, but because she wanted them to leave quicker.

"We heard the news! I assume it must be a hard time for you right now." The center of the group started to speak while twirling a dark lock of her straight hair around her finger. It was easy for Zero Two to determine whom the leader of the pack was.

Beside her, the girls all held a sly smile or a painstakingly forced one. She knew a fake smile when she saw it.

"Then again, it can't be _that_ hard since you were a no-show to the funeral, right?"

Snickers dispersed from plump and glossed up lips as if the stranger's jab was honestly that good, but Zero Two's face remained flatly unamused.

"You know... With your father no longer owning the school, you're not as hot as you think anymore. Do you honestly think you'll continue to get special treatment now that you're.."

Zero Two wouldn't be able to tell anyone what else the girl said beyond this point because she decided to turn the volume up on her music player until their voices were completely drowned out. Her head tilted back now and she closed her eyes again, ignoring the five annoying presences in front of her.

The notes kissing her eardrums like small waves touching one's toes was a much better remedy. It didn't last however.

Only five seconds later did Zero Two feel a cold liquid pour down her head as if she'd run under water, rushing down her shoulders and to her once clean skirt. The chilly and nonetheless sudden sensation caused her to snap her eyes open, looking down at herself to take in what just happened.

Her uniform that was now drenched and the flattened, damp strands of her hair that stuck to it now.

Even before their chorus of laughter reached her ears, Zero Two was able to put two and two together. Apparently, they didn't take being ignored too lightly, but neither did she take being physically attacked.

Zero Two ripped the earbuds out of her ears, doubtful that they'll continue to work as well as they used to. She swiped her sticky bangs to the side with one finger right before she suddenly stood up. Of course, she needed to see her harassers if she wished to get them back.

... _Stupid airheads. What do they know about me?_

Evidently, the girls must've expected her to sit there and take it, or else they would've haven't taken a step back from her. Or else their eyes wouldn't have widened with a discernible emotion that made it seem as if they were facing an unexpectedly scary situation.

Zero Two reached out until her fist caught onto the front of her blouse. The abrupt movement caused the brunette's tray to slip from her helpless hands, various food splattering and dropping at their feet. No, she wasn't about to hit her—That would be an utter waste of her time. However, she _could_ make sure these airheads never bothered her again.

Her mouth was parted to say something to them, but the first word quickly died on her tongue when she registered the wavering fear in the brunette's eyes. It made her feel sick.

 _Don't look at me like that._

Zero Two sucked on the front of her teeth, but her fist didn't loosen up on the student's shirt nor did the threat in her narrowed eyes leave.

 _...Tch. Is she going soft?_

"Zero Two!"

Her breath stopped short for a second when the name reached her ears, her muscles tensing up almost immediately but not out of fear. She was startled. ...It was Hiro. Only a few people would call her that on school grounds, but the voice was too distinctive to _not_ know who it belonged to.

"Zero... Tw–" Before the brunette could finish her words, the girl had already loosened her grip on the front of her blouse and sent her three steps back with a forceful push forward.

Her friends turned around to help her in case she fell, but she didn't.

"Never speak to me again. Got it?"

She watched their panicked heads nod simultaneously, arms hooking around each other to stay close to one another as they made their hurried leave. Despite not letting them get away with the assault, Zero Two didn't feel an inch relieved. Instead, she felt more stressed out than before.

Now Hiro was also here. The girl turned around to him to see the horrified look on his face.

 _Hah... Is that for her?_

"Zero Two! Are you okay?!" He asked with that same nauseating concern for her, as he closed the distance between them.

She wished people would stop worrying about her; especially him. However, it did not seem within Hiro's nature to not be concerned about other people more than himself.

Moreover, she hated lying to Hiro whenever he had to ask her if she was okay. If she was... coping well. He's been doing his best these past couple of days to get closer to her, but she's only stopped resisting him as an outside appearance. On the inside, Hiro hasn't knocked down a single wall of hers and it made her feel even more like the villain here.

"I'm fine," Zero Two reassured him without a trace of concern in her voice. It was as if having someone's drink poured down on her was a normal part of her day.

She was sticky for sure because the sugar in the liquid was drying up quickly underneath the heat of the sun. The smell and the fizz bubbles she'd seen indicated that this was soda all over her, but so what?

"Hold on!" Hiro told her, as he pulled out a neatly folded, blueberry-colored handkerchief out from the pocket of his pants. He clearly didn't think the same as her, but that didn't surprise her.

Zero Two didn't move when he started to dab the front of her hair and blouse dry with it. The kind thought was indeed there, but the handkerchief was far too small for a mess as big as this one. Therefore, this scene was a little humorous to her.

He shouldn't waste more of his time on her. Hiro tried _too_ hard sometimes and it caused her to feel even worse about what she was selfishly doing to him. All of her time spent with the boy still couldn't answer her question as to why Hiro would do so much for someone he knew almost nothing about, but...

They _did_ say they were friends, right?

She was no better for encouraging all of this.

 _Zero Two, you're way too in your head here._

"I don't know what happened, but I ran over here as soon as I recognized you. Those girls did this to you, right? I can report them to Ichigo and then—"

"It's fine. I don't care that much about them," Zero Two brushed off the suggestion.

The girl didn't think she deserved that much nor did she wish to make a larger situation out of this.

"...Are you sure? I don't think that we should just let this go, Zero Two-"

A softly deflating sigh left her lips, before the girl took a step forward and placed one pointed finger against the front of Hiro's mouth. Just like how she silenced him that one night when he started to ramble on too much.

"Stop talking. It's alright, I swear. I'll just go home and wash up," she said, as simple as that. The girl assumed her reassurance worked when she watched Hiro's once tensed up shoulders drop, so she withdrew her finger.

"Zero Two... Are you sure you're okay?" Hiro asked her again. Even if he was risking having his concerns for Zero Two brushed off by the girl herself, it was a risk he still wanted to take.

For a few seconds, she went completely silent and it left an ominous feeling lurching in Hiro's stomach. Then, after a long and heavy thought, she said something to him. It wasn't what he wanted to hear however.

"I should head home now. Looks like now wasn't a good time to come back after all," Zero Two responded to him as her lips curved into a small, forced smile. Her arm held the other one behind her back.

She was avoiding the question, but only because the truth would be so much harder to admit. _It was better this way_ , Zero Two told herself.

"Bye-bye for now, Hiro."

The girl took a step to the side and started to bypass him to walk towards the front gates. What raised Hiro's awareness though was the forlorn look she was holding back in her emerald eyes as she parted with him.

 _If you're okay, then why do you look at me like that..._

Hiro couldn't stop to think. His body just acted when he turned his body halfway towards her and grabbed onto the end of her sleeve. It was a situation Zero Two was already becoming used to with him. She didn't even question him because she's more than aware that he'll do so first.

"You remember what I told you, don't you? You can talk to me about these things if you'd like," Hiro desperately reminded her, as if this would be the one time she'd actually listen to him.

Zero Two was not yet there, however.

"I know," she responded to him with a lingering sadness to her voice. Hiro didn't fail to notice it.

But he doesn't stop her even as her sleeve slips out of his grasp, only able to look at her retreating figure. It was as if they were still trying to hear each other from opposite sides of a field.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

As Zero Two opened the front door to her mansion, she didn't feel compelled enough to announce her return for the other occupants within the manor to hear. She felt... very tired despite having not done much at all in a physical sense today. Although, that was not Zero Two's reason for choosing to enter mute.

Zero Two didn't feel up for interacting with anyone else — especially since they all voiced the same concerns to her, or chided her for not anything to change these things. Therefore, they all ended up sounding like a broken record to her ears and she was quite weary from the cycle.

As well as with larger things.

The soda her clothes had soaked up was already mostly dried up by now, leaving behind a dirty feeling on Zero Two's body, but she hardly cared for her current condition.

Moreover, it gave her an excuse to soak in a nice and warm bath. Despite her old interests that no longer sent excitement rushing through her veins, the feeling of water against her skin—no matter the temperature—has never betrayed her.

Her shoes were soaked with a brown stain due to the soda that reached them and walking with them on into the bathroom would track footprints everywhere. Her house manners have been trained into her brain so well that she still took the moment to do little things like this.

A week ago, it didn't matter. Now Zero Two felt bad about doing something he wouldn't approve of. It was a small thing, but it was important to her. If she could do anything useful then it would be staying true to Werner's habits.

But just as she started to lean over to reach her feet, Zero Two's felt her head become dizzy all of a sudden. The blood rushed to her head all at once and her vision began to blur. As this happened, Zero Two reached out towards what was nearest to her left to catch herself. Her hand found safety on the edge of a table, framed portraits aligned on the desk alongside other valuables.

They shook slightly with the weight of the girl's body suddenly being pressed against it.

 _...God, what is this?_

It felt as if her consciousness was being quickly stripped away from her.

She can hear the muffled sound of hurried footsteps entering the room she was in. Voices spoke out to her, but they inevitably became drowned out to her ears the fuzzier her vision grew. Zero Two couldn't tell what Sawako was saying to her, but she can tell that she was speaking rather hastily to her.

Then, her strength on the table slipped just as soon as her world did.

* * *

 **January 2, 2020**

 **3:46 PM**

 _Tiny feet kicked back and forth in the air, belonging to a short little girl who sat in the center of an exam table anxiously. Right now she was in a doctor's office and the man, who she now knew as Werner, told her that he'd brought her here just to make sure her health was in good condition._

 _The reason went through one ear and out the other however. Zero Two didn't understand much beyond that and she wasn't interested enough to ask what he meant. She was too concentrated on her fear of misbehaving and making an unintended mistake, so Zero Two remained quiet and obedient this entire trip. She did whatever the adults told her to do since in her mind, it got them to leave her alone quicker._

 _Now she was alone in the office, but could see Werner and the doctor discussing something outside of the door through the window. The table propped her up high enough just for her to be able to see. Their mouths were moving, but she couldn't read their lips nor hear a thing from the other side. Zero Two concluded that their discussion was likely about her and that made her nervousness increase by a tenfold._

 _It elevated even more because she felt alone in this unfamiliar place, Zero Two bringing her roughed up knees to her chest in seek of temporary comfort. The doctor had been generous enough to hand her a light green lollipop, telling her that its sweetness was beyond compare to other candies as he did. With the taste of the treat slathered all over her tongue, Zero Two believed him too._

 _Its sweetness provided a distraction for her as she waited for either of them to come back into the room. As much as she was afraid of areas and faces she didn't recognize, Zero Two was even more afraid of her loneliness. She didn't want to be alone again._

 _The child felt nauseous just recalling those memories. Sitting beside her father's cold and rotting corpse, looking for shelter every night, scavenging for food... The sweetness of her candy helped push the sickening sensation down for now. She bit down on the small ball with her teeth, breaking it apart and then chewing on the fragments that spread in her mouth._

 _As the door to the office opened slowly, her body stiffened instinctively and she hurriedly pushed her legs back down to straighten herself back out. She expected both to reenter the room, but this time it was only Werner again. Her eyes observed his face to read his mood, but all Zero Two received from it was a look of... regret? He looked... sullen, but the child couldn't tell why. She was never taught how to communicate and deal with emotions. Much less her own._

 _"Sorry for leaving you alone like that, kid. We're just about done here for today. How are you feeling?" he asked her genuinely, not wanting to cut straight to the chase when speaking to someone who was still in the middle of living her childhood._

 _Despite the condition he found her in that one day, she was still a child underneath her layers of distrust and mental scars. Specifically because of those things, Werner understood he had to be gentler with her than others. The same blunt way he spoke to adults, he couldn't do the same to her._

 _Zero Two stayed quiet as a mouse however, unsure of how to answer the adult in a way that wouldn't provoke him. Much to her shock, Werner wasn't fed up by her lack of response and she didn't understand why. All he did was slide one hand into his pocket and shift his weight into the other foot._

 _"I see. Still unable to speak to me, huh? That's fine, you can take your time. I'm sure you want to know if the results are good or not though, right?"_

 _Zero Two didn't nod her head, but she didn't shake it either. If she was speaking honestly here then Zero Two didn't care for the occasion behind why she was here in the first place. Regardless of her silence however and probably interpreting it as shyness (or more distrust), he continued nonetheless._

 _"The doctor found even more bruises on your body than I initially thought you had," He stuck out one finger and pointed to one of the dark and purple marks on the outside of her arm. It contrasted awfully with her whiter skin. "Bruises are these things."_

 _His finger then moved to another one that was on a lower portion of her thin leg. She had quite a lot and it would be time-consuming for Werner to bring attention to each one._

 _"They fester when you hit yourself too hard onto something. Then, they usually swell up and turn into this color. If you put pressure onto them, sometimes they'll hurt." He wouldn't inflict unnecessary discomfort on her to give her an example._

 _"It's important that if you ever find any more of these on your body—no matter if you think they're new or old—you must tell me, or someone else close to you immediately. Do you understand that?"_

 _Werner felt only a little content seeing Zero Two nod her head slowly. He could tell by the uncertainty in her eyes that she wasn't quite following his words, only nodding because she felt ordered to. Of course a ten-year-old wouldn't understand the severity behind this information._

 _"The problem is that you're... sick, so they'll continue to appear more easily than they would on anyone without your sickness."_

 _Honest to God, Werner wasn't sure if he was breaking these things down plainly enough to the child for her to understand the matter with her body and health. However, he was trying his best here. His experience with young people didn't go far._

 _Werner never had to take care of a child before, only his projects. Now he had more than he imagined he'd picked up placed onto his shoulders, but this was tougher for Zero Two than it was for him. While he tried to find ways to keep the other safe and informed, she was the one who had to suffer from the symptoms._

 _"There are other things that you will feel because of your condition. It's important that you know them, alright?"_

 _Again Zero Two nodded her head, still slowly and unsurely. In the child's mind, she couldn't quite grasp the importance of the subject at hand. She was sick? ...Like the common cold? That didn't seem too bad to her. The bruises didn't bother her either, so this cold wasn't very painful._

 _"Sometimes it may seem as if your head and body hurts for no reason. Other times you'll feel unusually tired, or you may want to throw up. When you do, you must speak up immediately so we, as adults, can take care of you and help you feel all better. Are you still following?"_

 _He waited and watched the gears in her head turn as she tried to absorb all this information at once. It was a lot to push on a ten-year-old, but it also couldn't be helped. This was what fate chose for Zero Two. When her lips pursed into a small "o", Werner leaned into the fact that she was about to speak._

 _"...I-Is... Is it like a cold?" Her meek voice asked, as if reasonably doing so would earn her a punishment._

 _That wouldn't happen with him however. Werner would have to do his best to teach the girl that there are other people out there who are as human as she was. More human than himself, or her deceased father._

 _Werner had known about his former friend's odd change in behavior, but wouldn't have guessed that he was also abusing his own daughter. The test they ran on Zero Two showed them that all her bruises weren't accidental. It only made Werner's guilt skyrocket when he considered the fact that he should've reached out to the man sooner._

 _All he could do now was look after his daughter in his stead now. "...It's more serious than that unfortunately. I know it sounds scary, but you won't have to worry as much with me here."_

 _Cautiously, the scientist reached out to place his hand over Zero Two's. He noticed her body stiffen, but she didn't move away from him or bite him as she would've reacted a few days ago. His hand succeeded in making its way to Zero Two's, her hand much littler in his larger, adult one._

 _So small and fragile the girl was. She didn't know how she would fair for the years up ahead, but Werner swallowed that dreadful thought. In order to prevent that, he'll do everything within his power to see her have a happier life than the one destined for her since birth._

 _Zero Two stared down at the hand that covered her own, conjuring her thoughts together before she chose what to say next._

 _"...When will I get better?" she asked him in a shaky voice, and the fear on her tone broke Werner._

 _Without thinking, his arms wrapped around the child's tiny form and pushed her head against his chest as he enveloped Zero Two in his comforting warmth. He pretended not to feel the slight dampening against his shirt._

 _"I can't say for sure yet, but I'll do everything to make sure that you will."_

* * *

 **November 4, 2026**

 **6:25 PM**

 _She twirled around the green sucker in her mouth with a bored expression permanently situated on her face. Eyes gazed upon the bland and white ceiling that hung low above her head; a reoccurring sight she's long gotten tired of._

 _There was a needle going into her arm, squeezing out her fresh, red blood into its container. When Zero Two was younger, she always hated the pinching sensation that came with the whole process, but now her resilient skin doesn't feel a single thing. The needle hadn't injected anything into her body this time, so once it had what it needed, the blood was then transferred into a small vial._

 _She let out a small groan, already mentally tired from being here in the doctor's office despite having only been here for fifteen minutes so far._

 _"What's wrong? Do you feel nauseous again?" Werner asked her intently, but Zero Two interpreted it as the man worrying unnecessarily instead and that caused her to roll her eyes at him._

 _Most of the time Zero Two felt the need to hide her episodes from him just to prevent the attention it would gravitate towards her._

 _She did have the habit of becoming sick to her stomach, but it's become less frequent from the time she was a child. A lot of her vomiting at the time was triggered by emotional stress, but things started to ease out for her overtime. A long process surely, but eventually it happened._

 _She hasn't expelled any blood or food contents in forever now. Her head didn't hurt either, or none of those other things. Of course that didn't mean one or several of her symptoms couldn't return tomorrow, but Zero Two won't admit that realistic standpoint aloud. The old man shouldn't have a reason to be even more of a worrywart over her._

 _Especially since today she was fine, so why did she still have to spend her time in the doctor's office?_

 _"No. I'm just bored out of my mind," Zero Two replied without any regard of hiding her true feelings._

 _She picked her arm up from the armrest now that it was done being used, the plastic band still stretched around the upper half. The girl folded both arms against her chest instead, her lollipop still secured between her lips._

 _He was expectedly displeased by her answer. Telling him this wouldn't make the process go any faster and it was important for her to have her regular blood tests done. Werner needed to consistently monitor the behavior of Zero Two's blood._

 _"Just bear with me. You go through these all of the time, so you should know what to expect by now," he chastised her which led Zero Two into sucking her teeth annoyedly._

 _He was right and she knew it, that was why the girl didn't say anything to counter that claim. In the meantime, she continued to suck on her lollipop that has gotten a lot smaller since the car ride here. Soon, Zero Two will have nothing left to help her endure this procedure more comfortably and that... would suck._

 _"Have you been feeling any pain anywhere?" Werner continued his 'interrogation' as she would call it. At the same time, he was multitasking by putting away the new vial of her blood with the empty ones in a plastic stand._

 _"No. Not since last time," she pulled the lollipop out of her mouth to answer him clearly._

 _The girl was being honest even if the lack of care present in her tone made it sound as if she were only saying these things to get the procedure over with quicker._

 _Zero Two wouldn't put it past him to assume this either. With her lollipop out of her mouth, she began to inspect it for no particular reason. She didn't have to look out the corner of her eye to know that Werner was writing her medical responses down as she spoke._

 _"Hmm, that's very good. I pray that you're aren't hiding anything from me though," His thick, black pen clinked against the plastic of his clipboard once he sat it down._

 _"You haven't manifested any noticeable bruising lately, but I'll still have to check to be sure. You must continue to take care of yourself properly. There'll come a day where I won't be around to do these things for you anymore."_

 _A deep, regretful sigh expelled from him at the same time Zero Two's grip on the white stick of her candy tightened firmly._

 _Werner picked her vial up from the stand and slipped it into his white lab coat, turning fully to her before he would make his next stop. "I'll give this to the lab to examine and then return with a new fill of lenalidomide."_

 _As Zero Two looked down at her low platform boots, she remained completely and unusually silent. Her light pink bangs prevented the other from seeing the frustration in her eyes, but Werner did not need to in order to tell something was up with her._

 _Her body language was always more revealing than her words._

 _"...Why?" she spoke, but her question was so vague that Werner didn't quite catch on to what specifically she was asking now._

 _"Why what?"_

 _Her teeth bit down on the hard candy in her mouth, instantly breaking it into small pieces that scattered across her mouth. Zero Two didn't even stop to chew them._

 _"Why... Are you doing this? Why the hell are you working so hard for my sake?"_

 _A thick silence spread across the room and whether Werner was silent because he was thinking about her question, or because he was that shocked that she asked it in the first place, it was still something she's been meaning to ask him for the longest._

 _The most direct question that's been building up in her chest, but Zero Two never had the heart to confront him until now. Perhaps 'confront' was not the right verb to use against someone who was doing everything within their power to make sure your illness didn't become terminal, but this was how Zero Two felt._

 _There was more to it than just the surface. She wasn't an ungrateful brat in the slightest. Far from it. The truths behind her constant disapproval of her monthly checkups and special medical procedures were finally coming out now._

 _"What do you mean by that?"_

 _Zero Two felt her jaw begin to tighten. Crunch! Of course he didn't understand! She picked her head up and slid off the examination table until she dropped onto her feet._

 _"You know what I mean! Before you picked up a pitiful orphan like me, you were happier! That's the truth, isn't it? You were a famous scientist! You never wanted to become a medical doctor until you learned that I was sick!"_

 _There was a knot tightening in her chest and the more she spoke, the more the uncomfortable sensation increased._

 _Learning an entirely new field, becoming a doctor... All for her sake. It wasn't a surprise that he could accomplish so much in such a short time since he was an intelligent and the most dependable scientist Japan had. He had plenty of influence, but Zero Two didn't see the glory behind his name. She saw the human being underneath._

 _"Had you never met me then I wouldn't be such a burden to you. You wouldn't be so stressed out over trying to cure me. Life already has its plan for me, so why don't you give it up and let me di—"_

 _"Don't you dare say something like that!"_

 _Zero Two's body stiffened. The rest of the words she planned to tell him never reached Werner's ears. Never before has he gotten visibly upset with her and neither has she ever gotten shaken up in front of him either._

 _He sounded so serious and there was a whole new tone to his voice that told Zero Two she touched a sensitive spot. Was that not what she wanted however?_

 _Zero Two didn't believe she was wrong, so the girl didn't step down from her standpoint. "Why not? It's the truth!"_

 _Had she never inherited the blood disorder from her mother, if he never walked into her life... And maybe her father wouldn't have ever..._

 _God, she shouldn't have ever been born._

 _These were all things Zero Two has felt in her heart since she was as young as she could remember, her mindset being forced to mature due to her own upbringing. Due to what fate has put on her shoulders from the moment she was too little to know what to do with these responsibilities._

 _"Your life is more important to me than anyone else's! In no way was I forced into this decision! Why would you even assume such a ludicrous thing?"_

 _No, no. That's not it at all, that's—_

 _"That doesn't mean you should work as hard as you do! Do you think I'm happy watching you slave over this for someone as worthless as I am?!"_

 _Her voice was loud and fixated with pure anger, but what stood out atop those two fiery emotions was her own sorrow trapped in her throat. Her hands were equally curled up tightly into balls, sharp nails digging into skin that she was tolerant to._

 _Her head suddenly shot up and her eyes which were filled with passion met with his. The girl decided that she would not have this argument while invading his gaze the entire time. She would face this solely because she was not weak!_

 _Werner had a surprised look in his own pair of cedar, but Zero Two couldn't determine if that was because she was getting to the root of the problem. Or if the man was only surprised to hear her true, innermost feelings about his lifeline of work._

 _"I..."_

 _Words wouldn't help him, no. Words just couldn't sum up what either of them was feeling at this very moment._

 _Heavy footsteps of Werner in his black clogs reached her ears and became nearer, and near until warm arms embraced her and pulled her into his chest._

 _"I do these things because I love you. Nothing more. When it comes to the people you care for in this world, you'll go to the ends of the Earth for them."_

 _"...It matters not if the chances of you succeeding are unlikely, or not. It's the effort you put into the other person that matters most. If our roles were reversed, would you not want to do the same?"_

 _It wasn't until a single tear slid down her left cheek did Zero Two realize her eyes had brimmed to the surface with her own tears at all._

 _Even if she tightened her jaw to suppress her squall of emotions and closed her lids as tightly as she could, it did nothing for her. Salty liquid still broke through her long lashes, and the rise and falls of her chest were still shaky as ever._

 _It was not long before until more tear stains joined her face and Zero Two's pale, flush red cheeks wetted more and more._

 _Finding herself in this same position as she was when she first learned about her condition six years ago, it dawned on Zero Two that nothing has changed for her since that day._

 _And just maybe things never will._

* * *

 **February 19, 2028**

 **8:09 PM**

Her eyes reopened to dull, cream and white colored room. Her initial thoughts were that this environment looked sickeningly similar to her. The next was about the antiseptic smell of iodoform that overpowered her nose. When her mind mounted through the fog in her brain, Zero Two knew _exactly_ where she was.

This wasn't the last place she remembered being either.

Her muscles had a pulsating soreness to them as if all the strings to her heart had connected to every vein within her body and was pumping it with more blood than it could take.

Her movements were slower than usual when her hand went to feel the drape on her own body. The feeling of polyester against her fingertips confirmed what she thought: She was wearing a hospital gown.

When that realization dawned on Zero Two, the girl released a groan that flowed past her closed lips.

Out of habit by now, she raised her arm that was pulsating the most and was the only one which laid above the pale blue sheets. As Zero Two suspected, there was indeed a plastic tube going into one of her veins with a tape above it to keep it in place.

She noted that the liquid was clear this time and not a deep shade of red. No blood, but maybe vitamins were being flitted into her.

A resigned sigh pushed its way past her lips now at the same time as her hand moves to her head, running her fingers against her scalp. Beneath her head was a thick, white pillow where her pink head of hair was sprawled out on.

It took the girl a second to realize that... Nothing stuck to her fingers nor did a distinct sugary smell of carbonation reach her nostrils. She was clean. Of course she was... When they changed her into this gown, they must've wiped her down as well.

That was one fortunate thing about the situation she's awoken to. Although, Zero Two would rather be in a hot bath than here in a room that seemed too small for her own comfort. As well as being connected to a medical equipment.

She shouldn't be still complaining however because it seemed as if whatever she did, she always came back to this place. Now all Zero Two had left to do was wait for a nurse to walk in and explain the situation to her.

It was likely an enunciation that has become similar to a broken record to her ears. Needless to say, Zero Two wasn't all that curious to have her questions answered.

Rather, she'd prefer to know how soon she could leave. In the meantime, her eyes glanced over at the room that has become her own over time. This place was like her second home, although that did not mean the girl felt welcomed here.

Zero Two was completely alone in here minus one person who was situated on the opposite side of the room. Curtains were pulled around the hospital bed however which withheld them from Zero Two's view, but allowed the patient their privacy.

The girl wasn't curious about the other patient, not wishing to know why they were here or if they were awake with her. She preferred to stick to herself after all. Their presence didn't bother her either since even in a large room, Zero Two always felt mentally alone.

More glancing showed her that the window curtains weren't drawn in, allowing a way for the dull sun beams to cast light upon the room. Judging by the apricot orange that merged with the darkening blue sky, it was right at dusk. It couldn't be any later than 8 o' clock PM right now.

How many hours has she been here?

Someone who could answer that question for her then stepped into the room. The woman wore a traditional scrub with a white, short-sleeved shirt and matching pants. She held a clipboard held against her ample chest and had her dark brown hair tied into a low ponytail. There too were a few strands that stood out of place which showed signs of a long, busy day.

It only took the sight of her messy ponytail for Zero Two to recognize her, however.

The girl was moved from hospital to hospital frequently, eventually no longer suitable for what a children's medical center could do for her. As a result, she's had plenty of old doctors exit her life only for new ones to quickly take their place. The same naturally went with her nurses which she knew only fleetingly.

Kyou has been her hematologist for three years now, but Zero Two expected her to walk out that door and never come back one of these days. Despite it all though, her relationship with Kyou was better than anyone else who worked on her.

Yet that didn't mean Zero Two was happy to see her walk into the room. In fact, she shouldn't be seeing her at all. She didn't want to be back here! Not here out of all places, so it was _frustrating_ that she indeed was seeing Kyou's face again!

She didn't notice that receivers inside of the heart rate monitor she was connected to had increased slightly. It maintained a normal frequency however and only exhibited the shift in Zero Two's emotions.

"Oh, good. You're up. How do you feel?" Kyou asked as she quietly closed the door behind herself, careful not to disturb her patients with unnecessarily loud movements.

"Like hell. Why am I back here?"

Forget chitchat, she wanted answers: For what reason was she here and how soon could she return home. Kyou lifted up a single piece of paper which was secured onto her clipboard with the rest, briefly scanning it with her dark grey eyes.

"Sawako brought you in about nine hours ago. According to her, you fainted as soon as you returned home. The dietitian examined your vitals and protein level which are very low. You show numerous signs of undernourishment. I compared your weight to your last visit and you've lost ten pounds. This implies you haven't been consuming the recommended amount of food. Right now, your body is weak and I believe the strain on your body caused you to lose consciousness."

 _Your body is weak._

Hearing that made her fingers curl as she grabbed onto the sheets laid out over her. What she hated more was the fact that she couldn't deny it, but was that the only thing people could say to her? Being weak didn't define her yet it was the one thing that took up her entire existence.

"Your health is very important, you know that. Can you tell me what led up to this?" Kyou asked, her tone softening up.

For a moment, she stepped out of her professional persona and entered her motherly one. They weren't _that_ close in Zero Two's mind, but the girl was well aware of the woman's affection for her.

Kyou waited for the younger's answer to come, but what she received in return was Zero Two's natural silence. Walking away from situations was how she avoided confrontations. Only she had nowhere to run and hide now. Backed up into a corner, the only thing Zero Two had left was her lack of communication.

The woman wasn't dumb though. She knew Zero Two was starving herself due to emotional distress, but didn't want to openly make biased accusations. A professional didn't do that with their patient. Instead, she wanted to hear these things from the girl herself.

Several more seconds of silence continued.

The girl looked away from her doctor and out the window where the plain, cream-colored drapes were pulled back for viewing pleasure. Mint green irises watched as the orange sun started to calmly descent behind tall buildings she couldn't see past; only the small cracks in between where the bright rays leaked through.

A soft, defeated sigh from bedside her hospital bed followed by the clicks of one's heels as the other moved around told Zero Two she'd won her childish quiet treatment.

The harsh rush of water colliding with metal was heard from afar, her ears listening to Kyou wash her hands before she walked back to her to fiddle with her IV solution bag. Zero Two didn't have to look over to know that she was simply swapping the fluids with another fill.

"I understand your circumstance, but it's important that you eat three sufficient meals a day with plenty of nutrients."

 _Blah, blah._

Zero Two couldn't feel the need to listen to the rest, partially drowning out the woman with her own thoughts.

"Your father would've-"

Just the mention of him caused her body to stiffen and for her fingers to grasp at the sheet more tightly. Kyou noticed the reaction and with a gentle breath slipping past her lips, the doctor decided not to finish her sentence.

After all, her patient was already reluctant to speak to her. Clearly, this wasn't a place Kyou was meant to touch yet and she didn't want to make matters worse for the young girl.

In the meantime, Zero Two continued to gaze into the scenery just outside the window. The orange hues that painted the sky, blending into the hazes of dark grey and blue created a painting that was nostalgic to her. She wished to be freed from this place someday.

Freedom seemed to be always dancing at the tips of her fingers, but somehow still out of reach. Even when she spent several hours with the rest of the world, the places her chain allowed her to travel by herself to were limited. To think otherwise would be for her to live a lie.

"...That's not the only thing. You're two months behind on your shot. Also, you were in need of an urgent platelet transfusion when you arrived, but that's already been taken care of," Kyou informed her knowingly, not expecting the other to respond to her at this point.

Knowing that she had ears fully capable of listening was enough for her momentarily.

"While your undernourishment is a significant problem, there's a likely chance you're also relapsing, but haven't reported to me about it."

An exasperated sigh left Kyou's lips from the headache this child has given her as of recently. She was losing her patience with her.

"You need to accept that you're different. If you continue to push off your treatment, I know you're aware of what could happen."

Despite her important wake-up call, Zero Two was remaining quiet this whole time. Kyou noticed how her grip on the sheets hadn't lessened a bit though. Perhaps she needed space to process all of this information and decide on what she should do? She could only nudge her patient towards the right path, but unfortunately couldn't force her to take care of herself.

Kyou supposed she'll leave it at that for now.

"...Nutritional supplements are being delivered into your peripheral vein. I'll return in four hours to do a full assessment. Then, we'll discuss your diet plan and counseling for the next several days. You'll stay on intravenous therapy for the next three days until the decitabine is finished filling your body."

She picked up her clipboard from off a nearby counter.

"You'll have to stay under inpatient care temporarily, so we can monitor your progression. Once you've stabilized and met the nutritional requirements, we can release you," Kyou explained to her.

All of that information solidified the metaphorical chain shackled around her ankle.

"...Whatever," Zero Two uttered.

Her life... Was it nothing, but a pointless cycle by this point?

"You'll return to oral feeding tonight since you're awake. Dinner will be served shortly," the doctor informed her patient before the door gently closed behind her.

Zero Two didn't feel in the mood to eat, however.

* * *

 **February 20, 2028**

 **3:20 PM**

The sun bore down on an early Friday for Mistilteinn, its ray bleeding past plain colored curtains. Yet she couldn't feel them on her skin. If not for the light irradiating the room, she wouldn't have any concept of what time of the day it was. It was always difficult to keep up with those things when you frequently sat in one place all day.

Her eyes looked over to the untouched food on her left, a bowl sitting atop a silver tray on a hospital nightstand. ...If it could even be called 'food'. It was nothing more than unappetizing looking stew which was meant to be easy for patients to intake.

By now, it would be too cold to consume. However, her appetite never returned to her over the course of the night, so this was not a loss on Zero Two's side. She still did not feel up for food and somehow bottled water tasted a lot plainer here.

Despite Kyou's warnings, simply the thought of digesting something made her want to upchuck the contents in her stomach that weren't there in the first place. There was no point in consuming food that wouldn't stay in, was there?

Her muscles still felt a little sore, but it could've been from the uncomfortable slumber she had overnight. Her own bed at home was a lot comfortable and spacey than this at least.

Maybe it was even because she'd been prodded with tubes all night. In fact, there was _still_ an IV drip going into her vein at this moment. The girl was tempted to pull it out of her arm altogether, but she knew better than to. Once it was out, where would she even go to?

There was never a place for her to go beyond this place. Whether she physically left this hospital or not, Zero Two was always still tied to it by an invisible shackle.

She has to use the restroom now.

With a discomforted groan rising from her throat, Zero Two managed to push the blankets down to her knees before a soft knock came from the other side of her door. The sound didn't halt Zero Two in her actions because she could tell that it was Kyou by the way she gently knocked only two times.

"Ms. Frank? You have a guest here to see you," she politely spoke, but Zero Two didn't think much of it. Most likely, it was Sawako, Mayuki, or Itsuo, she thought.

However, Zero Two wasn't in the mood to speak with anyone. Maybe if she hid out in the restroom long enough then they'll leave her alone-

"Zero Two?"

Her muscles froze and she felt the blood in her suddenly run cold. Instinctively, she pulled the covers back over her body in a hasty way. With the covers pulled back up to her stomach—the sleeves of her gown luckily low enough to cover the purple-like bruises that blemished her arms—she looked over to the unexpected guest in her room.

 _What the hell was Hiro doing here?_

Zero Two wasn't even sure if she should break out into a forced smile, or not. _Should_ she be happy to see him?

"H-Hiro?"

It was unusual for Zero Two to stammer, so she wasn't sure why she was becoming timid all of a sudden. The girl didn't feel as if she had the right to be happy to see him. More than anything though, she was.. shocked. How in the world did Hiro know she was here?

Kyou casually stepped out of the room she and closed the door behind herself to respect their privacy, leaving the two to themselves. Zero Two strongly wished she hadn't however.

She felt fidgety about being with Hiro in this place. He was practically looking straight into the most vulnerable side of her there was. A side she'd done her best until now to keep private from others and more importantly, him.

But Hiro has walked into it without her awareness of the approaching danger and now she was scared relentlessly that he'll learn something he shouldn't.

Even as these tremendous worries filled her head, Zero Two did her best to maintain her placid appearance on the outside as to not give Hiro any reason to think that there was something to hide in the first place.

As Hiro's feet brought him closer to her, her stomach shifted uncomfortably. However, instead of reaching her bedside, he stopped himself right in the middle of the room. She was secretly thankful that Hiro's modesty, or uncertainty to approach her closely, had come in between his goal.

"Zero Two..." Hiro said again upon seeing her a little more close up, his turquoise eyes looking her up and down from where he stood.

Zero Two didn't know what he was looking for, but she self-consciously pulled the sheets to her bed noticeably closer to her stomach. On her heart monitor, the frequency of her heartbeats started to increase and she could only pray Hiro somehow wouldn't notice.

Even if she looked into Hiro's eyes in which he always stored his emotions, Zero Two still couldn't tell what he was thinking right now. The sight of her in this state must be too much of a shock to him and reached the point to where he was speechless.

It was her turn to look him over now, Zero Two noticing that Hiro was still dressed in his school uniform; school bag slung over his right shoulder. Had he come straight here after leaving school?

Something inside her shifted again, but it wasn't from her own unease this time. ...Why was she _still_ the first thing on his mind?

"I was worried when I heard that you were taken to here," He finally spoke up, managing to utter something other than her name. His comment raised a good question however.

"How _did_ you find out I was here?" Zero Two asked, eyebrows slightly knitted together in question.

This fact shouldn't be out there to the public that she was here. Werner had always done his best to keep her identity under wraps, so that her life wasn't any more complicated. As ironic as that mindset was.

They just knew she existed, but didn't have a name or face to go by. It was only a mistake that those at her school knew the relevancy behind her surname. One day, she was seen conversing with Werner by a student and unfortunately, the people there weren't as stupid as they acted.

"Oh. Well... I called you last night because I was worried about you." A light rosiness blossomed on his cheeks in a way that helped Hiro look awkwardly cuter than he already was to Zero Two.

 _No, no. Out with those thoughts, she-_

"I thought something might've happened when you didn't answer the second time, so I kept calling you. It wasn't until the third attempt when someone who wasn't you answered the phone. Then, ..they told me you were emitted to the hospital."

 _Oh._ So, that was how... She closed her eyes and let out a small sigh of relief. When they reopened, Zero Two could tell that the other looked as if he was struggling with something internally.

Then, it came.

"I'm sorry," Hiro apologized seemingly out of nowhere, taking her aback. The two words were rushed and abrupt, as if the boy has been planning to say this since the walk he made over here. Just what was running through his mind?

"What for?" Her right eyebrow quirked up.

"I... I would've come here yesterday! But..." His shoulders slumped and his voice lowered again, "...Visiting hours were already over by the time I learned about your situation."

He failed to include that he only learned this after sprinting all the way over here to see her yesterday, failing to logically think things out at the time. He'd been too concerned for her and hasty to confirm with his own eyes that she was okay. That she was alive.

For the past several weeks, Zero Two has felt an unwavering guilt in her heart and as of now, it was spreading like an infection. As a result, her judgment became even more clouded and she could only see the selfishness of her personal desires.

Hiro was too caring and she didn't deserve him in the slightest. That's what she has always felt and always will. Who the hell did he think he was saying _he_ was the one at fault here?

"It's okay," Zero Two told him, forcibly cracking a warm smile to cover up the negativity in her heart. It really _was_ okay for him... Just not her.

His eyes flickered over to the lone chair that sat against a wall in the center of the room. Then, back to the space between him and her bed as if trying to decide on whether to take the initiative or not.

"...Is it okay if I?" He motioned with his eyes on what he was trying to ask her. A quiet nod from her was all Hiro needed to retrieve the empty chair and pull the seat up beside her bed.

He came close enough so that he could talk face-to-face with Zero Two, but also kept a respectful amount of space between them at the same time. Her coerced smile trembled once Zero Two was then reminded of when _he_ used to sit on that chair. Werner... Her eyes lowered to her covered legs.

She still recalled the memory of waking up to the tired, hardworking man who would sometimes fall asleep in that uncomfortable chair while waiting for her to regain consciousnesses. How he did it, she didn't know, but the effects were dealt with whenever Werner complained about an unusual back ache an hour later.

The last time he annoyed her by chastising her felt like only yesterday. What she wouldn't give to return to those days. Maybe a second time around she'd do her best to show her gratitude towards the person who'd raised her. Next time, Zero Two would actually listen to his instructions and advice.

Hiro misinterpreted the other's sudden silence as her purposely ignoring him however, and that made him feel unwanted. Not to mention that this was an environment he hasn't been a part of in thirteen years. Only now he was here for Zero Two instead of his long-gone parents.

"Zero Two. I brought something for you," Hiro told her in hopes of breaking the tension between them, so he's happy when it brought her attention back to him, eyes curiously looking at his hands for the gift that he had yet to retrieve.

It caused him to smile warmly. _She's so pure..._

"Hm? Well, where is it?" she asked, looking past his shoulder now as if it would honestly be there. It evoked a small chuckle from him and a deeper confused expression from her.

Now Hiro can only hope that it isn't a disappointment when he pulled out her red scarf from his bag, washed with a fresh lavender scent to it—thankfully because of Kokoro doing the laundry that day—but noticeably with a couple of loose strings that was already this way when it was given to him. When he noticed them one night, he wondered why she's yet to buy a new one?

"Kokoro washed it for me... I mean for you," Hiro told her as he gently placed the accessory down on her lap since her hands weren't free from underneath the sheets. "Sorry that I'm returning it so late. I kept missing my opportunities because I kept getting distracted."

Looking down at her prized possession brought more of a genuine smile to her face. It erased the need for her to toughen through everything if only for a moment. The scarf was beginning to look worn out again, which meant it was in need of her handiwork but other than that, it looked the same as always.

Zero Two was never worried about her item in the first place however since she knew it laid in very great hands. Better hands than her own, she'd say. "...Thank you," she said lowly, a certain kind of gentleness taking her tone that Hiro has never heard before.

If he'd known she loved the scarf this much, Hiro would've forced himself to return it to her a lot sooner despite what she said.

A silence hushed through the room. The two then felt antsy over similar and dissimilar reasons unbeknownst to each other. Then, they both simultaneously find the courage to speak up.

"...Hiro-"

"...Zero Two-"

Unintentionally, they speak on top of each other and pause exactly around the same time to allow the other to finish speaking first. Inevitably, that didn't happen with either of them who remained there, silent and staring into each other's bewildered eyes.

Both of them are unsure if they should continue because they wanted to hear what the other had to say more than they wanted to get their own thoughts out.

 _This is silly._

Somewhere amongst the awkward silence, Hiro managed to get the first word in. "How do you feel?"

She had many responses to that question; descriptions that would go on for eternity if both of them truly had the time for it all. They didn't however, so there was only one way Zero Two could put it simply.

"I feel like I'm suffocating in here," the girl answered him, not hiding a thread of her true disdain for her situation. Hearing her answer then led Hiro to his next question.

"...Can I ask what happened?" The nervousness in his tone had come down a notch, reflecting the more serious side of Hiro as he calmly tried to get some more background from the situation in front of him.

The boy was trying to be cautious and considerate enough to respect Zero Two's privacy at the same time as he was trying to learn things about her. To reach her heart if she needed a hand.

As for Zero Two...

There it was. She felt her heart tighten in her chest and scamper into a small panic, but Zero Two made certain not to show this whirlwind of emotions on the outside. The heart monitor had only increased a tad, but when Hiro's eyes still shifted to the machine, Zero Two felt as if she needed to quickly say something to ease his suspicion.

"It's nothing worth fussing over. I just caught a fever a few days ago. It seems that there's still one spreading around from last season," she lied expertly to him, having been in this position to times and times before.

So, it was to the point that lying was so natural to Zero Two that it looked believable to those who did not truly know her. ...And she was an awful person for it.

She hated lying to Hiro, but it was better than having to hurt him by telling the boy the cold hard truth he wasn't ready for. She wasn't ready for that reveal either. As long as she was alive however, Zero Two would make sure that discussion never took place.

By that point, if her plan went properly, they should no longer be associated with one another. Thankfully, Hiro seemed to believe her lie judging by his processing nod.

When his eyes lowered to her bed to stare at nothing in particular, Zero Two noticed a sad glint in them. "I should've walked you home, Zero Two... If I had then—"

There he went again blaming himself, but why? It frustrated her every time he did this.

"What would that have done? You can't prevent the things that go wrong with me," she solemnly told him with the voice of someone who's long accepted this fact.

His lips parted in what seemed like it would've been a protest, but then his mouth slowly closed and his shoulders slumped. The defeated look on Hiro's face, as well as his silence, showed her that he knew she was correct too.

There's only so much a person can do in a situation that's beyond their control. Zero Two knows that the hard way. There was a couple of more silent seconds—in which the duo took the time to think to themselves—before Hiro's next question eventually came.

"How long will you be here then?" At least that was one question she didn't have to lie about.

"Until Monday. They need to make sure I recover properly before they can release me."

Of course, Zero Two never asked this in the first place because she already knew the usual duration for her inpatient care.

Despite the short length she offered, the creases around his lips deepened as his frown had. This made the girl feel a lot guiltier about putting that look there in the first place.

Even when she tried to cover up the severity of her situation, he still looked so sad. Unable to bear it, Zero Two had to look away from him.

"...I see. I hope you recover quickly then, I'll try to visit you every day. Eating usually helps us humans recover faster! So, make sure to, okay?"

The sadness in Hiro's eyes took a turn, replacing itself with something that looked awfully similar to hope. Was he trying to be positive for her sake, or his own? Zero Two didn't know how one could pick themselves up from a low point so quickly, but it was truly admirable how Hiro always looked for the good in every situation.

An amused smirk tugged at her lips now. "Are you my mother?" With her eyes now on Hiro, she had a great view of the rosiness that came faintly on his cheeks.

"Huh? W-Well, no! It's not like the, I just..."

"Alright," Zero Two interjected before he could continue to ramble. Her answer must've satisfied him too because everything in Hiro relaxed at that moment.

Ah, but she couldn't suppress the need to tease him!

"I didn't realize you were a certified doctor, but I suppose I can do that." A small and happy hum followed that the girl didn't realize she was even doing. Hiro always had a spell over her that she was subconscious to at times.

"I mean... I'm not trying to nag you or anything, Zero Two."

Ah, there he went sounding so serious again. She might be quite somber in her own head, but the emotion didn't look nor sound good on Hiro. He was supposed to be happy.

"I know, Da- Hiro."

His turquoise eyes looked at her with a newfound attentiveness. She swallowed thickly.

"You're trying to tell me to take care of myself, right? I've gotcha," she softly reassured him, a pure and genuine smile breaking onto her face for the second time that day.

Before the moment could last any longer between the pair, a lenient knock from the other side of the door was abrupt Zero Two's wakeup call.

"It's Doctor Kyou. I'm here to check your vitals."

And to reality she returned.

Kyou walked in on her own without her response needed because it was her job. Knocking beforehand was only common courtesy. Zero Two didn't want Hiro to be around when the rest of this situation carried out. So, the time to send him off would be now.

The girl looked over to him with resolve. "Hiro... I'll be okay from here on out. You should go home before it gets too late."

She can tell that he wanted to say more when his mouth formed into a small "o", but the protest died on his tongue before it could be heard, shoulders sinking and eyes dropping to the floor significantly.

Hiro then made a small and final reluctant nod. As good as he was at worrying about others, he was fortunately just as good at listening to them.

"You're right," Hiro responded as he stood up from his seat, returning it back to its original place in the room. "I'll try to see you tomorrow then, Zero Two."

He offered her a friendly smile as he said that, Zero Two completely unaware that he was only returning the one subconsciously sitting on her face.

When she watched Hiro's back retreat behind the door which eventually came to a close, Zero Two let out the largest sigh of relief.

That encounter caused her to feel too many things at once much to her own displeasure. Zero Two was now left to rethink over the much _too_ close encounter she had with the boy.

"Your heartbeat has increased slightly, but it's not alarming. In fact, it's a great sign that you're healthy," Kyou informed her while she prepared a sanitized needle between her elastic, gloved hands that Zero Two already knew what it would be used for.

"Did that last guest make your heart race?" With crinkled eyes, the woman teased her with a knowing smile annoyingly sitting on her face.

Except there was nothing to _know_ in this case, so Zero Two merely brushed her comment off with an exaggerated eye-roll. Mature laughter only followed her response.

"This will pinch," Kyou warned her before holding her arm with one hand and injecting the needle into her vein with the second.

She didn't need to be warned this since the initial pinch of a needle didn't hurt her skin, but perhaps Kyou never broke out of the habit since she used to handle small children before changing courses.

As the needle withdrew blood from her vein and filled its vial, her chartreuse eyes sought something else to focus her attention on in the room. They landed on the small and white, nicely shaped vase on top of the nightstand in between her bed and the next patient over. It housed a beautiful lavender hyacinth that added some life to the dull hospital room.

She noticed that there were parts of the flower where the sunlight unfortunately did not hit the petals yet it still thrived on its own. Just as Zero Two was beginning to think that the lone hyacinth was an oddly comforting sight, a single petal wilted and gently glided side to side until it fell limp onto the table.

Zero Two averted her eyes once she felt the needle leave her arm.

* * *

God, I know that this chapter took me a lot longer than usual. I got occupied with other things which slowed me down, but here it is alas!

Allow me to make a quick note that I've decided that Werner is not short and stubby in this story even at his old age. He's the same height he'd been as a young adult; just with grey/white hair like we've seen. So, that hug scene wasn't that awkward.

...So, this chapter revealed a lot and I'm not even near done with revealing stuff within this story. This is what I've been planning since the very beginning and if you caught the hint I placed in chapter two, then good job. I didn't want this story to follow the exact same path as the original. That's why I gave Zero Two an issue with her biology and her own existence through a more modern way. I wanted to make this story more unique and reflective to real life.

I researched heavily for this chapter. I'm not medical profession, so it's possible that I could've made some mistakes, but all of my references came straight from reliable sources. Therefore, I hope the things I put down made sense to you guys despite my concerns.

If you have questions that I wasn't too clear on, feel free to ask? Hopefully, the next update won't be too far away. Thank you for reading.

EDIT: I've redone Kyou's diagnosis to make it more medically accurate and detailed now that I'm more educated.

\- Michie


	8. I Promise

**February 24, 2028**

 **8:10 PM**

Nurses moved hurriedly about the corridors of the hospital. The typical bactericidal smell that all frequently sanitized hospitals seemed to have made his stomach churn with waves of nausea that threatened to lurch up his throat. The smell was not unpleasant, but it did awaken a memory that Hiro tried his hardest to suppress every time he stepped through those automatic doors at the front of the hospital.

Every time he did, Hiro always made a beeline for the front desk since he did _not_ want to see the sallow and weary faces of half of the patients in the waiting room. He did _not_ want to see the wounds that bled through thin clothing, colored bruises that left his mind to its imagination as to why the individual was here in the first place. If Hiro did, then those unwelcome memories would take their chance to invade his mind, and his heart may just start to pound away right then and there.

He did these things for her though. Everything was for her.

The hospital was placid on most days to his honest disbelief. So, the frequent sight of women and men, dressed in white coats and customary nurse uniforms, scurrying up and down the hall told Hiro that they were particularly busy tonight.

It was a hospital; these things surely happened.

"I'm here to see-"

"Oh, Hiro. Welcome back, dear."

The woman behind the desk greeted him with familiarity, a friendly smile stretched along her face to prove that she's gotten used to his recurring presence here at the hospital.

Hiro thought the woman seemed like a kind person who doted over children like they were her own. Every day he visited, she always had her ocher brown hair tied back into a neat bun and had the same amiable aura.

He'd come to at least learn her name, which was Ms. Hirayama. She'd given him her first name as well, but Hiro believed it to be more respectful to refer to his elders by their surnames. This was also common courtesy.

"Go on ahead. It's fine, I'll write you in."

Hirayama then waved Hiro off without looking up at him a second time, already picking up her pen to put down the needed information.

"Thanks," he smiled gratefully at Hirayama before he parted from the counter and allowed his feet to guide him where he needed to be based on pure muscle memory.

He's been up and down this hall so many times by now. He's passed these same achromatic walls and identical doors to the point that Hiro's feet knew how many steps to take until he could make a turn and be faced with the appointed room number.

Normally, Hiro would make his visits to Zero Two early in the afternoon since he would always come straight from school to stop by and see her, then end up losing track of time in her presence as ordinary.

Now that spring break has finally shown its peaceful face and temporarily allowed time for all students around the area to relax, Hiro was excitedly looking forward to seeing Zero Two whenever and for however long he wanted. However, as if his siblings could read his mind, they chose _today_ to be the day he would make up for all the lost time he could've spent in his family's presence.

They had a point. He'd been so caught up in Zero Two that Hiro hadn't even noticed he was slowly beginning to become a ghost in his own home. As Miku would teasingly call them, he's been too distracted by his "dates". Only these were definitely not dates, but that trivial misunderstanding didn't matter in this case.

The guilt from his recent actions is the very reason why Hiro didn't protest, leading him into spending almost the entire day with them. While Hiro was always glad to spend time with his precious family, it didn't override his eagerness to see Zero Two which had made him awfully antsy all day.

It didn't help that Zero Two hadn't even responded to his message from earlier which warned her ahead of time that he'd be late today. It was only left on 'unread' which left Hiro to contemplate on whether his phone was broken and she never actually received the message, or if Zero Two was so upset with him that she didn't even bother to view it.

He really hoped that the latter wasn't the case.

Eventually faced with the wooden door accompanied by the sign 'Room 216' on an acrylic plate to its left, the first thing Hiro did not immediately do was knock. This wasn't a first-time occurrence either, so his apprehensiveness was not due to the idea that Zero Two might be there with her arms childishly crossed against her chest, head turned the other way because she refused to look him in the eyes.

No. The boy always felt a sense of nervousness hit him like a whirlpool amassing in his stomach, and Hiro couldn't explain why this feeling took over him each visit.

Was he possibly afraid of what he would see behind that door? Or was it simply seeing Zero Two herself that made his body react to this surge of paranoia? He knew that it was only a fever, but he couldn't help the kind of thoughts that clouded all sense of his rationality.

No matter his feelings though, he wouldn't leave until he saw Zero Two. She was his reason for coming to this sickening place each and every day.

With one final breath, his free hand shakily reached out to knock on the door. However, before it could do so, the door swished open and a female nurse appeared from behind it, nearly bumping into Hiro. She abruptly halted in her footsteps just before they could collide, and Hiro was taken aback by the bewilderment in her light grey eyes.

It seemed as if his presence had startled the nurse too by the small jump the woman made, but oddly enough the frantic look in her grey pools never subsided.

"Excuse me!" The nurse exclaimed before stepping around Hiro and scurrying down the hall in a haste. That was the first odd encounter he's had here at Werner Hospital and the fact that the nurse had come from...

His blood ran cold and drained all the life from his face.

"Zero Two!"

His adrenaline spiked and coursed through his veins, awakening every one of his senses. His heartbeat accelerated like there was no tomorrow while everything he feared seemed to come back to haunt him. The voices he'd done his best to cancel out in his head were louder than ever now and completely irrepressible. They yelled at him that everything was over, that the cycle had continued itself in the end. Zero Two would... She'd!-...

Before the door could completely close, Hiro slammed it opened with a force the boy didn't know he had within himself. He didn't take the time to think over how disruptive his entrance must've been if there were other patients in the room. His mind was focused solely on Zero Two's well-being and safety.

Panic-stricken eyes impetuously darted for the usual spot in the room in hopes of seeing the flush, pink-headed girl still sitting upright in her hospital bed. Zero Two would turn her head his way, swallowing thickly as if she were preparing herself for something troublesome before a gentle smile would eventually stretch itself along her face.

Hiro always interpreted it as a sign to come in.

He wasn't met with that sight this time. In fact, her bed was completely empty. Even when Hiro's eyes scanned the room and ran over the floor for a possibly unconscious body, there was still absolutely no sign of her.

 _Zero Two, where are you?_ _Okay, Hiro. First, look for a hint for where Zero Two could've gone._

His returned his eyes to her bed and noticed that the pale blue sheets weren't tucked neatly underneath the mattress, but pulled back as if someone had gotten up. That meant Zero Two was probably still in the hospital.

Had they transferred her someplace else? But for a fever? That didn't make sense logically from all he knew, but as of now, Hiro's mind had abandoned all rational thoughts. He then heard the sound of several footsteps entering the room behind him. Hiro was too busy concentrating on Zero Two's unknown whereabouts to face them, however.

It would've been the reasonable thing to ask them where Zero Two had gone to immediately put an end to his panic, but his mind just did not go there at the time.

"What do you mean still haven't found her?! A patient doesn't just disappear!"

He could hear the frustration in the female doctor's voice, but all Hiro could register was his heart sinking to the bottom of his stomach.

"...Young man!"

Someone was calling out to him, but he couldn't hear them past his own thoughts.

 _Zero Two... is missing?_

She's missing. She's _missing_ and not even the hospital knew her whereabouts?

"Young man!"

The voice was louder, but still very suppressed since his ears drowned whoever was speaking to him out.

 _Zero Two!_

The warm hand he suddenly felt on his shoulder which shifted him around with a gentle force woke him out of his daze temporarily. Hiro's eyes then met with the chartreuse of Kyou's serious ones.

"I'm sorry, but you cannot be in here tonight, Hiro. I'm afraid you need to return home," Kyou spoke authoritatively and very familiarly with him. Hiro didn't know her very well, but he was enough of a frequent visitor that she knew his name by now.

The words didn't get through to Hiro though. No, he wouldn't accept that. The boy quickly turned back around to inspect the last place Zero Two could've possibly been for another sign he must've overlooked. That the nurses and doctors somehow failed to notice.

It was then that something bright red came into the corner of his vision. His heartbeat started to calm down as his eyes focused on the object which he was quickly able to identify as Zero Two's scarf. Relief swept through him temporarily.

The scarf was lying lifelessly at the side of her bed, accompanied by knitting needles neatly put off to the side. A closer look allowed Hiro to notice that the threads which were once loosely out of place when he initially returned the scarf to her were now nowhere to be found. It looked like a brand new scarf.

Zero Two had knitted it back into good condition. Hiro knew instantly that Zero Two wouldn't willingly leave behind her prized possession that she went so far as to tailor herself if she didn't intend to come back to it.

She was safe. She was indeed still in the hospital. Everything would be okay, he just needed to find her now, but where would she be?

Suddenly, it occurred to him. Hiro wasn't confident and could only go by his gut feeling. That that was where she'd be, but since this was the only thing he had to go on then so be it! It was better than nothing!

"Hiro!"

The boy didn't stop as he dashed out of the room past the yelling staff, his feet moving with a mind of their own towards the stairway that would lead to the upper level. As if the universe was guiding him straight to where Zero Two would be.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

His loud and brisk footsteps reverberated through the emptiness of the maze of staircases until he found his destination. The door that would lead him to the hospital's rooftop. A sense of déjà vu rushed over him as memories of their first meeting resurfaced in his mind.

This was exactly how Hiro found her the first time and while that clearly did not mean she would be behind this door a second time, the boy was leaning on the small percentage chance that Zero Two would. Another part of him hoped that was a game the other decided to play with him because she knew he would come to see her as always.

Maybe Zero Two was testing his ability to find her in a spur of the moment? Positively for once, Hiro wanted to hope that was the case here.

The boy's feet moved faster than his lungs' ability to honestly keep up with it, leaving him slightly breathless from the first serious activity he's had in the longest: Climbing up this countless amount of stairs. It was all worth it- No, _she_ was all worth it when his palm gently pushed open the rooftop's only entrance and exit.

And what Hiro saw made his heartbeat steady again and the panic that had risen in his heart just earlier decrease tenfold. His eyes softened on the lonely, but ever so beautiful girl laying down in the middle of the asphalt, eyes gazing up at the starry night sky as a sweet tune hummed straight from her lips relaxed him completely.

Zero Two was okay. He found her. She's alright.

Her flush, pink hair was sprawled out underneath her as if the unsuitable and most likely dirty rooftop was her own personal massive bed. Hiro couldn't catch the tune she was humming from this distance, but getting closer meant possibly disturbing her and the boy didn't wish to interrupt such a beautiful sight.

Upon first glance, Hiro could only assume that she was stargazing and had sneaked up here solely for that purpose. Couldn't she have gotten permission for this? Perhaps they didn't permit this so late at night.

Now that he took the time to redirect his attention to his surroundings, it was pretty drafty out here tonight. A huge contrast from the heat that would attempt to bake them from morning to afternoon. It was tolerable for him, but not friendly for a patient who only had a thin and slightly exposing hospital gown to cover them up.

He would've brought a blanket up with him had he been more certain that Zero Two was here. Hiro decided that he wanted to get closer to her though. He did come all the way over here to see her after all, so he'd feel unsatisfied if he didn't get see her face up close.

Hiro was mindful to keep quiet as he slowly shut the door behind him before walking over to where Zero Two was gracefully lounging around. He was afraid to startle her with any sudden movements or sounds. However, that seemed to be inevitable for him. With another step, a tiny twig audibly crunched underneath his foot.

It was a small sound that should've been drowned over the bustle of the city past dusk, but it was still enough to alert his friend. When he saw Zero Two's muscles tense up, heard her humming come to a rapid halt, and watched her quickly sit up.. Hiro knew then that he had ruined her peaceful getaway.

Her head spun around to him and Hiro nearly fell breathless as their eyes met. It was as if every ounce of his breath had been taken from his lungs, and not because he was about to panic again. This time this feeling came with a familiar, though still unexplained warmth that developed in his chest and spread to his toes, electrifying them with excitement.

However, judging by the dismay that took a hold of the girl's eyes, she was not experiencing the same magic that he currently was. ...Was she okay? Something wasn't right here.

"Z... Zero Two?" Hiro questioned with a tone that balanced in between uncertainty and worriment.

Zero Two snapped awake with a small jump as if him simply speaking had caused her to suddenly recall something startling. Oddly enough, she quickly turned her body away from him and embraced herself with her arms. Now curled up as if she was hurt and leaning slightly forward, Zero Two yelled at him. "You need to leave!"

No. That was the second time he'd been told that tonight, but he wouldn't go for it. Did Zero Two honestly expect him to turn around and walk the other way without question when she was acting in such uncharacteristic ways?

Since she's never exhibited this kind of behavior before, Hiro didn't understand what she was trying so desperately to hide from him. Only until his gaze lowered and caught sight of the dark purple-bluish discoloration dispersed along the arms and legs of her normally creamy white skin.

These were... bruises. They even looked fresh to be exact. He could tell that some were in the process of healing as the discoloration were fainter, but that didn't make this concerning discovery for him any lighter.

With the darkness that curtained the outside of the city, Hiro's eyes hadn't caught them at first. However, now he couldn't remove his shocked eyes from them. They were probably even in other places he couldn't see.

"Don't look!" she yelled frantically while turning her body to the side some more.

The tone in her voice honestly scared Hiro. He's never heard her, or seen her look this vulnerable before. This whole behavior... It didn't seem like her at all.

Or was it that he could not comprehend the possibility that this may be the real Zero Two who sat before him now? A young girl who was afraid of her weakness being seen by the world. Even by himself whom he considered a close friend of hers.

That was fair. He has demons he doesn't want Zero Two to know about as well. What he couldn't accept was the fear she was displaying to him now. That wasn't how he wanted her to act around him.

"Zero Two," he said in a serious tone. Unintentionally, it provoked more fear within her that caused the girl to quickly stand up on her feet in an attempt to flee the scene. As if she wanted to avoid confrontation at all costs.

However, her body was too weak for the sudden movement and a wave of lightheadedness made her dizzy enough to lose her balance. Luckily, Hiro was quick enough to tell what was about to happen and rushed in to catch the other's wrist. This prevented her from possibly falling onto her knees and ruining them, or landing roughly on her bottom.

Once he had his grasp on her wrist, Zero Two was able to balance herself again on her own. However, his actions wouldn't be appreciated by her since she soon attempted to pull her wrist away and free herself from him.

But she couldn't.

This appalled Hiro because he was not even holding onto her that tightly. This was not the same strength of the girl who had effortlessly pulled him off a park bench and led him into a frigid lake a while back.

"Look at me, Zero Two," Hiro pleaded with her, but she didn't.

Her eyes never even attempted to level with his. It stung to feel her pushing him away again, but he could understand her panic.

He had just discovered something he clearly shouldn't have. Hiro decided to release her wrist since he was aware that it was making her uncomfortable. Would he run after her if she fled? Probably not. She didn't need him all in her space that frequently.

Although the minute he let go, Zero Two didn't try to make a break for it again. Deep down inside this made Hiro was relieved.

"I won't ask about them. You don't have to explain anything to me that you don't want to either, but please don't continue to hide them from me. I've already seen them now. ...I understand that they're the reason you're here, right?"

He prayed to anyone who was listening to him right now that she wasn't getting hurt at home. Not her out of all people. Please not her.

His question was met with a silence that lasted much too long for Hiro's own sanity and it was fuel to the boy's imagination to run wild. He swallowed thickly and lowered his gaze to the ground until the duo were both staring pensively down at their feet.

"...You don't know what you're talking about," Zero Two finally muttered and took a few steps away from him, the bottom of her slippers rubbing smoothly against the asphalt of the rooftop as she dragged her feet.

Hearing those words made something stir in Hiro. His frustration with the current situation mounted and broke through the barrier that would've normally told Hiro to shut up and accept this. He couldn't just sit idly by though. Not when he believed Zero Two was in such a critical state.

"You wouldn't hide them from me if they meant nothing to you!" No, he didn't mean to yell at her.

Making her even more hostile toward him and possibly emotionally hurting her in the process was the last thing he wanted to accomplish here, so Hiro took a brief pause to breathe. Then, he tried again.

"Look. ...I meant it when I promised you that I wouldn't make you tell me anything, Zero Two. You have the right to your secrets, but is it necessary for you to lie to me right in front of my face?"

It honestly stung to feel so distrusted by someone whom Hiro considered to be his closest friend. What made it worse was that sometimes Hiro couldn't tell what Zero Two truly thought of him anymore.

She had said they were friends at one point and he agreed to that, but now it felt as if they were drifting apart and becoming complete strangers once again.

For a minute or two, it remained tensely quiet. Hiro was ready to admit defeat at that point. Maybe pack up his things and return home like he's been directed to do so twice today, but then Zero Two finally turned her body to him.

As she slowly lifted her head, he could see those emerald eyes peek out from behind her low-cut bangs. Those beautiful emerald pools that reflected back at him with such weariness and vulnerability. Hiro could feel a sudden weight of guilt compile heavily in his chest upon realizing he had put the latter in those eyes.

"I..." Her voice drifted off shakily and Hiro's eyes perked up slightly in expectation. There was a certain expression on Zero Two's face that made it seem like she was about to tell him the truth.

"...Don't want to talk about them. Okay?"

She had decided against it at the last moment. It was disappointing, but Hiro chose to respect her secrecy. Whether or not it was truly as he thought, or if she obtained these bruises from someone else, he didn't doubt it was hard for someone to come clean with that kind of confession.

 _...Oh, right._

"The staff... They're looking around for you," Hiro informed her calmly.

He noticed the girl's expression become bleaker when he brought up this point and something in his heart told him to quickly turn around and fix that. "But you can sit out here for as long as you like. I won't tell them that you're up here."

Zero Two immediately looked less tense. That was good.

"...Is it okay if I join you?"

Hiro decided to push his luck now. With Zero Two in such a sour mood, it was very likely she would turn him away. Fortunately for him, she was still the same girl whom he couldn't predict.

Despite her unwillingness to meet his pleading gaze again and the uncertainty that flashed across her face right before she turned her back to him, Zero Two was still either generous or tolerant enough to grant him this one thing.

"Yeah," she agreed quietly with some distance laced in her tone.

Was he selfish for wanting to get closer to Zero Two and help her out when she clearly did not want him around? Then, Hiro recalled that she _never_ asked for his help once. He was the one who butted his way into her private business and was probably annoying her constantly with his persistent prying.

He was probably getting ahead of himself here by thinking that someone as independent and confident as Zero Two needed someone like him in the first place.

 _Way to go, Hiro._

"Actually... I just remembered that I need to get home early to help out with dinner. I'll see you next time, Zero Two."

Just as the boy turned to make his exit, he felt soft and slender fingers wrap around his wrist gently.

"You always make sure everything is done before you come to visit me at this time. You've told me that before. Have you forgotten?"

 _Oh..._

Yes, that was true. He leisurely mentioned this to her only one time during one of their conversations, so he marveled at the fact that Zero Two would remember such an insignificant detail. Did that mean he was caught in his lie? He was only trying to give her the space he assumed she wanted.

But if Zero Two knew this, then why didn't she go along with it?

"Stay. It's more insulting if you make up a lie just to leave."

So, _that_ was why.

"Sorry," he immediately apologized. He didn't want Zero Two to think that he was normally a dishonest person. "I thought you would rather me leave you alone."

Without looking back at him, she resumed her spot on the ground and hugged her exposed knees close to her chest. It was out of the need to hide the hideous bruises strewn all over her legs even if this futilely did nothing for her.

"It's fine. It gets boring up here quickly after all. You might as well stay."

No. Zero Two was the one who couldn't be fully honest.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"So, how come you're up here at this time of night?"

Hiro broke the uncomfortable silence between them. It was the easiest question he could ask her out of the many Hiro felt certain would be left unanswered.

He recalled how Zero Two had claimed she felt as if she were suffocating inside of the hospital a few days ago. If that was how she really felt, then naturally she would want to step outside to be where the fresh air is. He knew she wouldn't do so during the daytime either, as it quickly became far too hot.

Someone with a fever shouldn't stay out in the heat for too many hours lest they increase their illness as a result.

"To get away..." Her answer was vague and not quite the one Hiro was seeking since it didn't answer much of his question.

"Get away from what?" he tried to press on, but...

"Things that you wouldn't understand."

Hiro wanted to ask her what specifically she was trying to get away from, but decided not to. It should've seemed obvious, but the boy couldn't help but think there was more to it than just getting up and running away from the staff because she hated the environment.

How many times has she been to the hospital to get exhausted of it to that point?

He wouldn't press on anymore though, but rather pretend he was content with her answer. Hiro could tell by her tone she wasn't very enthusiastic about this subject either, so the boy tried to contemplate a better one to initiate.

"...Do you like the stars?"

"What?"

 _Was that too lame?_

"It's just... You were stargazing before I came up here, right? You seemed really interested."

 _'You were even humming that beautifully happy tune,'_ he didn't add.

His eyes looked away from the girl beside him to admire the midnight-black sky that curtained the city. It was as if the sky were a canvas and the many brilliant specks that painted the night—painted Mistilteinn—was the artwork handmade by anyone who had such power to create a masterpiece.

They twinkled so brightly by themselves even when the naked eye couldn't see how hard they worked. They never exhausted themselves, appending the moon whenever night crept around the corner by illuminating the city.

And Hiro thought their ability to come together and create such a natural and beauteous sight in the process was heavenly. When he was a child who was fascinated by everything he came across, Hiro believed no beauty could ever be comparable to nature itself.

Several years later, he's come to realize how wrong he'd been. Zero Two worked like the stars did; maybe even harder. She was an incandescent star that burned with its own passion and attractiveness. Independent, able to make all eyes fall onto her effortlessly, and naturally become enraptured by her bright personality.

Maybe Zero Two was more prodigious than the stars themselves. She was someone he could never catch up with, or hope to surpass. Zero Two was far ahead of him in her own journey that had no room for him. He was merely someone insignificant who would pass her by in her life that had plenty of potential in it.

She was his inspiration though and he knew that since the moment they met. Maybe someday he can live as she does.

"I loved the stars too," Hiro continued with a warm, reminiscing smile on his face. "As a kid, I would read all about the constellation. My favorite one was Corvus which takes the shape of a bird. You can find it beside one of the brightest stars within the constellation."

"Corvus?" she asked with genuine interest rising in her tone, making it clear that she was not well-informed in astronomy like he was.

Not everyone had the extraordinary fascinations he had as a child, so Hiro wasn't the least bit surprised. He has yet to come across anyone he didn't have to explain this to either, but he actually enjoyed doing so every time. It was only natural for one to feel joy from talking about the things they love.

Even the things they didn't realize still held any value to them.

"Yeah. Luckily, it's visible at this time of the year. If you look to the far left you'll see it..." Hiro extended his pointer finger to guide Zero Two's eyes to the right location in the sky if she were paying any attention to him.

He didn't check to see if she was, too preoccupied with mindlessly babbling on about this subject. He didn't realize how much enthusiasm he was putting into this.

"Eta Corvi makes up the right wing..." His finger pointed slightly to the right, upwards and then made a line going downwards, "And Zeta Corvi makes up the neck-"

"I don't see anything," she stated as her lines thinned into a deep, disappointed frown.

It was reasonable that she couldn't see it. It wasn't easy for him to make out stars at first when there were a million of them that looked identical to one another and were easy to get lost in if you didn't know what you were looking for. How could he help Zero Two though, hmm?

 _Ah._

"Excuse me, Zero Two. Is it okay if I... touch you?"

His hand waited into the air a distance away from her wrist to imply the place he had in mind to touch her, but of course, he was hesitant to act without gaining the girl's permission first.

He wouldn't touch her without her consent and that wasn't just because of what he learned today. No, those bruises didn't make him think any differently of her. Zero Two will always be much stronger than him. Mentally and physically.

Had it been anyone else, Zero Two would've straight up told them no. However, this was someone she trusted completely, despite her heart not showing it with her actions half of the time. So, a simple and soundless nod was all Hiro needed to continue with whatever he had in mind.

Hiro was relieved to learn that he was not that distrusted by her. Gently, he wrapped his fingers around her hand and guided her into holding out her pointer finger in place of his. It would be easier if she followed her own hand.

The boy tried to ignore the tiny, electrifying sparks he felt skip across his skin when his hand met hers. However, before his mind could entertain that inevitable sensation, Hiro took a quick note of how cold her hand felt. How long has she been out here? He'll have to see if he could persuade her to return to her room in a bit before she worsened her fever.

"A-Anyway..." He could feel her eyes on him. Hopefully, he hadn't spaced out. "You know where The Big Dipper is, right?"

He looked over to see Zero Two nod her head, her eyes thankfully transfixed on the midnight-hued sky now instead of him. With a much more helpful guidance this time, he was able to point out Corvus to her and in return, Hiro was gifted with the _rare_ sight of Zero Two's once dull eyes brightening with a vibrancy he hasn't seen in what felt like forever.

It was the same source of light that used to kindle her beaming and lively personality like a flame to a candle before Werner's recent passing. An unforeseen incident he watched quickly destroy all of the life inside of her right before his eyes. Hiro always knew the true Zero Two was still there, she just needed some help finding her way out.

Therefore, the boy felt bizarrely blessed that such a simple and unintentional thing such as babbling about his silly love for constellations was all he needed to do to see that light return to Zero Two, even if just temporarily.

"I see it! It's a bird!" she yelled proudly with the corners of her lips stretching out into a wide grin that blinded him with her pearly white teeth.

Without even realizing it, her happiness was so infectious that Hiro was smiling back at her with the same amount of joy. There was even a lingering sense of deep affection and care laced in Hiro's expression that neither of them would take notice of at the time.

Her head turned to him, grin still spread along his face as if seeking approval from him. That was when Hiro remembered he needed to respond to her and chose to nod his head. "You did, Zero Two. I'm proud of you."

Her bright emerald eyes softened a touch and then lowered to look away from him. He was worried that he'd done something wrong to sour her mood already like the fool he was. When Hiro's eyes lowered to follow her eyes, he only noticed then that his hand was still wrapped around hers.

Hiro jumped in place and suddenly pulled back his hand back, quickly separating it from the girl's. He hadn't meant to keep it there. Hopefully, Zero Two didn't think he was intentionally being creepy. Too caught up in his own little panic, he didn't realize how the girl's fingers longingly almost reached out for his when he withdrew his touch from hers. However, they quickly stopped as if regaining control of their movements and returned to the safety of her knee.

Hiro was just waiting for Zero Two to tease him now and call him a 'pervert' like in the past, but that surprisingly never came. Instead, she continued their current topic which showed her clear investment in it.

"I never learned about the stars growing up. ...I always thought they were profoundly beautiful. Just hanging up there in the sky, shining brightly by themselves. As a child, I would always reach out and attempt to catch them in my hand."

As a demonstration, Zero Two extended her arm out, spreading her fingers as she opened her palm and then proceeded to close it. When she turned her hand back around to herself and slowly unfurled her fingers, reasonably there was nothing there. So, why did she let out a quiet sigh as if she'd been expecting something amazing?

"...But it would always turn out the same," Zero Two finished with a mumble. He didn't like the dispirited expression that was returning to her face, so he tried desperately to keep the conversation lighthearted.

"It would be nice to reach the stars someday."

There was a brief moment of pause.

"...You seem to like stars very much. How come you stopped?"

 _Oh._ He hadn't expected that question from her. Now Hiro had to look into his head and try to find the answer to a question he didn't already have prepared. _When_ had all his interests slowly dropped? His turquoise eyes looked up into the dark, speckled sky for help.

It all started around the time he...

A low, softly deflating exhale was dragged from his parted lips. "I sorta lost interest in everything I ever liked after the incident with my parents."

"...Oh."

He could process how awkward she must be feeling now, but he didn't want Zero Two to have to feel that way. He didn't want her to feel as if she had done something wrong either. It was his fault for dampening the mood.

"But it's okay!" he hastily added, "It doesn't... Hurt as intensely as it did back then."

Zero Two glanced over at him from the corner of her eye for a few seconds, silently checking up on the other before she returned them to the sky above her. Her sneaky glimpse went unnoticed by the boy.

"Mm..." she simply hummed, possibly making it seem as if she didn't care enough to ask him about his feelings. That wasn't the case, however. Zero Two had her own ways of figuring these things out.

She also knew personally how it felt to be reminded of someone who was no longer in your life. Therefore, the girl tried to do what _she_ would want in this case and that was to move the conversation forward to avoid the problem altogether.

"Hey, are there any other constellations out tonight?" Zero Two perkily asked him and—much to Hiro's own relief—thankfully shifted the topic on to someplace else.

It was a tactic that would help prevent the mood from suddenly turning gloomy and also stop Hiro's brain from thinking solemnly about his parents.

"Oh. Many! Well, first there's..."

Seeing the warm and easygoing smile returned to Hiro's face as it normally should be filled Zero Two with a sense of relief. He should never frown. It suited her far better than it suited him. She released her knees and laid back down into the position she'd originally been in when Hiro found her.

Only this time Zero Two had company as she continued to stargaze, learning about new constellations and seeing images she was never aware had been painted in the sky until tonight. For once, her night felt as if it were not heading too horribly compared to the others.

"Help me find them again?" The suggestion fell from her slightly dry lips. In the short seconds that passed during which Zero Two didn't get an immediate answer from Hiro, she felt her heart sink in her chest.

Yet as soon as Hiro's hand enveloped her own with its assuaging warmth again, Zero Two could feel the heaviness in her chest lighten itself to the weight of a feather.

Yes. She could do this for an eternity if life was truly that giving to her.

* * *

 **February 25, 2028**

 **4:08 PM**

"Hey, what's that?"

Underneath his arm, Hiro carried a large and thick hardcover book with the image of the Milky Way on its cover. It was hard for Zero Two to make out the spiral galaxy from her place in bed, however, so she was clueless as to what he had with him.

"It's an informative book about astronomy. I thought about how bored you must be cooped up in here all of the time, so I thought of you— I mean I thought that you might be interested in this when I was reading it last night."

Zero Two's working hands came to a pause, the vivid red wool held together by the ends of her knitting needles slowly falling into a pile on her lap as her arms came down. With utmost care, she placed the incomplete task to the side of her bed, but right at her hip so that it would still be as close to her as possible.

This was the second time Hiro has caught her right in the process of knitting. At first glance, he couldn't even see anything wrong with the scarf to the point that it needed to be tailored some more, but maybe there was something only Zero Two's artistic eyes could see. He hadn't even known she knitted at all until recently, but that was a little fact he would keep a mental note of now.

Hiro held the book forward for her to take into her hands, which Zero Two did. He noticed the hesitant manner she accepted it in, her eyes having glanced at the object uncertainly before her fingers slowly reached out for it. Then, they grasped the book firmly as if Zero Two was fearful of damaging it in some kind of way. That was laughable to Hiro since even though it was his personal belonging, he wouldn't get mad at her if she happened to drop it by accident.

It's just a book after all and an old one at that. In any case, Hiro was glad that she hadn't accidentally dropped it and only because that meant her fever hadn't rendered her weak after all. The book was credibly heavy given the amount of content that filled it up in order to make it so thick.

"It's several years old, so it's not up-to-date, but I hope it fascinates you all the same," Hiro apologized somewhat sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as a force of habit now.

Zero Two paid no mind to that little insignificance though. She opened the book to its first page, taking quick notice of Hiro's name written in his own unsurprisingly neat penmanship on the back of the cover.

The sight of it brought a subconscious smile to her face. A smile which only served to increase Hiro's embarrassment with himself, leading him to begin second-guessing how _bright_ this idea of his actually was since he believed that Zero Two was suppressing the urge to laugh at him.

He wouldn't have ever guessed that her smile was one of adoration for him.

"It's your book," she stated the obvious once her eyes were able to confirm the owner's name. Zero Two flipped to the next page carefully, skimming past the chapter index and proceeded to turn to the first chapter that read 'Stargazers: Introductory to The Universe' in bold, white text with a black backdrop of space behind it.

"Stargazers..." she mumbled the title aloud, liking the way it sounded on her lips.

The girl knew immediately that she would have fun dissecting this book, but... She didn't wish to take it. It wasn't hers to borrow.

"Yeah. I haven't touched it in years, so I don't mind lending it to you, Zero Two. I only found it again last night by chance. If you like it, you can even keep it."

The girl gasped softly and Hiro witnessed her sudden excitement return the sunshine to her optics that had been so lifeless lately. Hiro was even certain that the sound he heard come from her lips was the first time she'd done so around him.

A smile tugged at the corners of Hiro's lips. He only thought that she either liked books like he did, or he made a great decision in assuming she would like to learn more about the universe. The true answer was that Zero Two was giddy from the thought of possessing something of Hiro's in general. Giddier than she should've allowed herself to reveal to him, having lost control of her own emotions for a second.

Becoming self-aware of this, the negative thoughts soon swam their way back to the surface of Zero Two's mind. Her shoulders sagged and the light in her eyes dimmed until it was no longer visible. Those emerald eyes that had quickly returned to their dull state focused back onto the opened book in her lap. Hiro didn't need to be a genius like her deceased father to tell it wasn't because she was reading what was printed on it.

"I mean... I don't want to steal your belongings. You should take it back. I don't even have anything to give in return," she told him, her once happy tone dropping to its forced despondent one quicker than Hiro could keep up with the situation.

Zero Two was still hard for Hiro to figure out, but she didn't make it any easier for him to do so either. As of late, Hiro noticed it seemed that whenever she wanted to be happy, she found a way to immediately kick herself down as if punishing herself for such a human emotion. Hiro hoped he was only reading too much into it.

It was impossible for Hiro to know when his speculations about Zero Two were the actual truth, and when he was straying far from it. Guesses were all he had to go on nowadays ever since she started to close her heart to him.

A puzzled look crossed Hiro's face that resulted in his brows furrowing together for a moment. "If someone gives something to you then it means they want you to have it. I don't expect anything out of you in return, Zero Two."

The fact that she believed simple kindness couldn't exist without selfishness alarmed him, but at the same time, Hiro was painstakingly reminded why he shouldn't be surprised by this matter either.

What all did Zero Two have to go through to the point that she thought like this? To not know how kindness worked seemed cruel. His gaze shifted to the red wool poking out from her side, a sinking sensation settled in his stomach as his mind began to wander. Was that why she'd given him...

Well, he wouldn't allow her to think that any longer.

"You know what?" Hiro held back his sudden wave of nausea and forced his smile back onto his face just as her eyes rose from her lap. They gazed back into his bright eyes, completely clueless as to what he would finish his thought with. "It's officially yours now. No take-backs."

"You..." Zero Two's eyes widened in disbelief for a moment before they returned to their normal size, gaze attentively falling back down to what was now _her_ book. Her finger started to slowly trace the edges of the book as if admiring how it's been bound together. Or maybe she liked the texture of the hardcover?

"...Thanks," she quietly let out. It was so hushed that Hiro could've possibly missed it if he weren't always paying such close attention to her. He couldn't even be certain if it was really made for him to hear, but whatever was the case, Hiro wouldn't dare to ask for it back now.

He made his decision as soon as his brain drifted to her last night to be exact. Once seeing that she was settled, Hiro decided then to finally take his usual seat which was already in position for him in front of her bed. Whether this was done by the nurses who anticipated his daily arrival or Zero Two herself, he never had the guts to ask.

His eyes wandered to the scarf sticking out from behind her hip. Just as she flipped forward to a page that would go into great detail about Orion, Hiro brought up what he thought to be an innocent question to her.

"Hey, Zero Two. Do you like to knit?"

The answer was completely obvious, but this was the only way Hiro could think to approach the topic in which he would hopefully get to hear Zero Two express her love for. He wanted to learn all the little things Zero Two liked and there sat an opener on her bed.

"Huh?" she seemed taken aback at first, but then her gaze darted to the scarf at her hip and an understanding look washed over her face. Zero Two must've realized what he meant.

"Oh..."

At that moment, Hiro became a lucky witness to an expression he didn't expect to see take over Zero Two's face. He'd never seen anyone with such kind and soft features that struck Hiro instantly like she did. She appeared even more innocent now as the thoughtful look made its way to her emerald eyes. It seemed as if the girl was recalling an important memory now. Was Zero Two possibly reminiscing?

The way the corners of her mouth curled up sweetly into that gentle smile told him the answer was yes, leading Hiro to wonder what memory he accidentally dug up? Fortunately, it seemed to be a good one.

"Not really. I only picked it up so that I can fix my scarf whenever the strings start to get too loose."

That was the only reason? While this revelation was impressive to Hiro, picking up such a skill that required immense patience and diligence seemed like a troublesome length to go for an object wasn't one of a kind. He's seen hundreds of scarves that looked exactly like this one; some even more quality.

"Is it special to you?" Hiro inquired curiously. The boy assumed this had to be the case for her to want to cherish it as she did.

Zero Two silently nodded her head before she gazed over at Hiro. He couldn't explain the phenomenon happened, but when her emerald pools locked with his curious turquoise ones, it caused Hiro's whole world to come to a standstill.

He couldn't see anything else but the girl's eyes on him which had a strange intensity to them. Hiro wasn't blind to the strong, unidentifiable emotion in them that caused him to feel drawn to them. It was as if Zero Two was trying to tell him something more than what her lips were actually saying.

If that was the case though, then nothing compelling enough followed to truly lead Hiro towards that conclusion.

"Very."

What in the world was that?

When Zero Two broke away from their lingering gaze, Hiro knew he saw the faintest scarlet flush splay lightly across her cheeks. It contrasted sharply against the pale whiteness of her skin tone which is why it was brought to Hiro's attention. There was another reason why, but the boy wouldn't bring himself to acknowledge it now.

Right now Hiro believed it was a trace of her fever returning since it hadn't completely ebbed away. According to Zero Two, Kyou has appointed her to an extended stay at the hospital since her fever wasn't recovering as fast as estimated. Should he leave early to allow her to rest and recuperate faster?

He wanted to see Zero Two back outside underneath the sun with the rest of them, in her casual clothes with that old, bright smile on her face. The ones she showed him nowadays always lingered with sadness, allowing Hiro to get a clue of how miserable she was actually feeling inside. The place where his concerns didn't seem to reach her.

"Your face is red. Should I call Kyou over?" Hiro asked innocently, only worried for his friend. While still in his seat, Hiro leaned in closer to assess the feverish hue on her face better.

Albeit the boy was oblivious to what this might feel like from the other's perspective since Hiro's mind was just focused on her well-being. Nothing more or less.

Zero Two's eyes widened in surprise as she saw Hiro's face enclosing on hers. She slowly drew back and turned her head the other way to prevent him from observing her... Definite blush and unfortunately what was _not_ actually a sign of fever. She didn't want him too close to her.

Why when they initiated so much contact last night? Zero Two didn't know, but by some sort of instinct, her brain told her to pull away from the boy before he would make her heart feel funny and then those frustrating emotions would come back up.

 _Dammit._

"Don't bother. It's nothing," Zero Two muttered.

Hiro contemplated between listening to Zero Two or fetching Kyou to examine her anyway. However, in the end, it was only a fever and not something that could threaten her life. Zero Two wasn't so weak that she couldn't handle something as common as a fever was in Mistilteinn.

Reluctantly, he silently decided to trust her and tried to shift the conversation back in its original direction.

"...You said your scarf is special to you. Was it given to you by someone important then?"

In his head, Hiro was thinking along a family member or best friend. His question was acknowledged with a quiet nod. Although, it was hard to tell what kind of expression Zero Two held on her face now due to her long and pretty, light pink hair curtaining it from Hiro's visibility.

Still, her answer alone was enough to make his concerned and trying frown lift back up into a doting smile.

"I see. And that's why you take such good care of it constantly?" He nodded his head once as if coming to an internal agreement with himself. "I like that part of you."

Zero Two's head slowly lifted back up, turning it to the side to look Hiro into her friend's warm eyes. He always... looked at her so warmly. Like she was actually someone capable of deserving such a look.

Didn't he ever get frustrated with her? The answer for Hiro was no.

"...And what part is that?" she asked, but now as genuinely as she could've sounded. In truth, Zero Two didn't wish to hear Hiro's answer to the conclusion he just made. It was probably another ridiculous, undeserving one.

"The part of you that cares for others."

 _It was._

At first, the girl couldn't speak. She was stunned and cornered into silence, her brain still trying to slowly process the large and meaningful characteristic that has never been associated with her before. Except from... _Him_. Hiro and her old man were alike in nauseating ways.

 _It was hilarious. It was stupid, it was-_

Zero Two let out a dry chuckle that didn't come from within. It started out short and low—stopping and starting in parts until her volume increased, her laughter built itself more from the miserableness wedged deep inside of her heart. Her chest and shoulders shook, and her muscles grew tight.

"Zero... Two?"

She could hear the worry rising in his tone. The girl bit down harshly on her bottom lip, her hands shut the book in her lap closed and placed it to the side. With her lap now free, her fingers curled into her soft, pale blue sheets.

She knew Hiro was still waiting on an explanation for her inappropriate response and he'll get one. Maybe this will be the thing that will finally drive him away from her.

"You've got it completely backward, Hiro. I'm actually a selfish and cruel person. Cares for others?" Her voice lowered into a mutter as her eyes darkened with sadness, "What's that nonsense?"

Her fingers curled and uncurled around her sheets, attempting to work up the strength to say what would leave her mouth next. Or... Was she bracing herself for the consequence?

"You need to stop putting so much faith in me. I'm not the person you think I am and I'll never be. You understand, right? You should do better things with your life rather than cling to me, Hiro."

"Zero Two."

 _Oh, he sounded serious now._

The girl took in a shaky breath. Hiro finally wanted to fuss at her properly now, didn't he? Good. This is what she wanted, what she's been waiting for. Just yell at her, leave her be, and then Hiro could get away from all of this. He didn't deserve to be caught in the middle of her own messes.

Her lids closed as she waited for his rebuttal.

"Zero Two... You're crying."

She felt as if her heart had stopped beating for a moment. It was only when Zero Two reopened her eyes did she notice the wateriness that beclouded her vision. Next, she became aware of the salty drips that had already slid silently down her face right underneath her nose.

Right in front of Hiro.

 _She was... crying? When the hell did that happen?_

Zero Two had planned this conversation in her head weeks back. She had several close encounters and missed opportunities in which she could've laid it down on him earlier, but something in her heart made her keep pushing the confrontation further and further away until it reached this unbearable point.

But every time in her head, it never went like _this_. Never like this. Zero Two thought she was well in touch with her emotions at this point in her life, but it was impossible for a human being to completely discard the very thing that made them human.

Within her bleary vision, she saw Hiro's hand reaching out towards her face. Zero Two could assume he wanted to wipe away her tears with his thumbs, but she wouldn't allow that to happen. Again, she turned the other way from him.

"Don't touch me! I already told you to leave."

This time her protests didn't stop his advances, however. Instead of feeling his hand come to her face, she felt it rest atop of her fist and enshroud her entire hand with his warmth. How desperately she wished it didn't make her take her first steady breath.

"I don't think you're truly that kind of person, Zero Two. But even if you are, what does that matter to me?"

A knot welled up in Zero Two's throat as she peeked over at the boy through her low-cut bangs; a sure sign that she was listening to him at least.

"It's okay to be selfish, it's even natural to be cruel sometimes. Of course... You'll hurt someone's feelings at some point in life, but I believe it's up to us as people to learn from our mistakes and try not to commit them again. That way we don't end up repeating ourselves."

His fingers curled around her fist firmly. A warm reassurance that he would not be leaving her to deal with her inner turmoil alone. Hiro preferred himself to be the one with low confidence. The one who was burdened by his shame and guilt; not her.

What made her deserve these things?

"I can tell you aren't proud of these things you say about yourself either, Zero Two. If you were then you wouldn't be crying right now. You wouldn't sound so sad, or guilty about it either. The fact that you have the heart to regret whatever things you might've done in the past shows that you are a good person, Zero Two."

 _Nononono!_ _That's not true, that's not true._ _Her father told her she was a monster._ _A regret that shouldn't have ever been born._

 _She's killed and pushed away everyone she's ever held dear to her. Fuck, she was a walking havoc._

 _Why didn't Hiro want to save himself from that fate too when she was giving him every damn opportunity to?_

"Th-That's..." Her shaky breaths returned as her lips began to tremble and more tears welled up between her thick lashes. Her hands started to shake which caused Hiro to squeeze her hand tightly.

"Zero Two. I don't care what you've done in your past. No matter what you reveal or don't reveal to me, it would never make me think any less of you. In any case, if you're an awful person then consider me one as well."

That threw her off. The center between Zero Two's eyebrows meshed together as they looked at Hiro questionably, clearly puzzled by the sudden conclusion he made. Hiro just tilted his head slightly to the side and smiled warmly at her.

"Wh... Why the hell would you be awful? You're the sincerest person I've ever met. I'm nothing like that."

"This proves my point. You only know me as the person I appear to be in front of you. You don't judge me for the fact that I've done things in my own past that I'm not so proud of. In fact, I'm probably worse than you think you are yourself."

Hiro's voice lowered into a quiet and softer tone. "There's still so little we actually know about each other, isn't there?"

"...I'm still learning how to handle my own obstacles. Recently, there's been a lot of new situations I've never been in and I'm unsure of what to do. I'm prone to mess up somewhere along the way. I've even made a mistake now. I should've done better to reach out to you, or else I wouldn't have pushed you to the point of tears. I'm sorry, Zero Two."

"Why are you apologizing? Why aren't you angry with me? Why won't you leave?! It's easy for everyone else, but you!" the girl desperately cried as her breathing hitched, but it didn't make Hiro's resolve waver. He smiled sadly.

"I have no right to leave a person for being flawed when I'm clearly flawed myself. So, Zero Two..." His deplored eyes somehow still glimmered with a spark of hope when his gaze rose from their touching hands to meet with hers.

"Since we're both awful people, why don't we figure these things out together?"

Zero Two was speechless. She could tell that Hiro was being completely honest here and it terrified her. It was terrifying to have a person care for her so much, it was terrifying that she equally cared for them just as much but was afraid of where that would lead.

She couldn't have him and very much knew why, but Zero Two wanted to trust him anyway. Hiro made her feel as if there was a beacon of hope for somewhere between the dark grey clouds in the sky. Frankly, this was becoming too exhausting for her to handle on her own as well. Zero Two just wanted to ball her feelings up like a wad of paper and never have to deal with them again.

She was tired emotionally and physically. For once, Zero Two was willing to let herself lean on someone whom the girl felt she could trust laying her heart out to. Surely, he out of all people wouldn't leave her with more wounds.

'Together', he said. Together they could figure these things out and then maybe, he'll... They could...

"We'll figure out anything?"

Hiro nodded his head firmly, the once somber look in his turquoise pools now replaced with a determined and inspirited fire. It stemmed from the hope he had for the both of them, but mostly for her.

Zero Two made him want to be a better person and Hiro made Zero Two feel free.

"Anything. I swear to that," he promised her.

Zero Two took a short pause before she nodded her head, raising an arm to her reddened and swollen face to roughly rid her dampened eyes of her remaining droplets of tears.

"Alright. ...Together."

* * *

 **February 28, 2028**

 **7:01 PM**

"Hey, Zero Two. Have you heard of the story that when people on Earth die, their souls return to space and become a star?"

The girl looked up from the book she had perched on her blanket-covered lap, now one hundred pages deep into the gift he'd given her three days ago. Zero Two was speechless at first, initially having to process the nonsensical thing Hiro just told her. Next, she tried to formulate a good response to his random set of words.

At least ten seconds of utter silence passed before Zero Two's lips could finally part open to say something, and when she did:

"Hiro, are you implying that my old man might've become a star?"

Hiro let out a small and casual laugh, then proceeded to look out of the large window he was currently standing in front of. His fingers held onto the edges of the vanilla-colored curtains that he'd drawn open so that Zero Two could look out into the orange-lit city which glowed in the surrounding midnight black.

Hiro knew how much Zero Two enjoyed the scenery and figured she would appreciate feeling more connected to the rest of the world if she could peer out into it with a simple turn of her head. He never asked if this method of his actually worked, too shy to admit to the fact that he was doing such a thing with such a sappy thought in mind.

Yet the fact that Zero Two never complained whenever he pushed the curtains apart as soon as he stepped into the room told Hiro she didn't seem to mind.

"Well... When you say it like that it sounds a lot more ridiculous, but whether it's real or fake, I don't think the story is a bad one. It's sorta... A really hopeful mindset to have about something so sad, isn't it?"

Hiro had a good view of half of the enormous city from this floor level even  
though it was still incomparable to the much more exceptional sight from atop the roof. However, he didn't feel at ease with the idea of Zero Two sneaking onto the roof every night to get away from whatever she was trying to.

The girl was so high above the ground, cold, and feverish all at once. Anything could happen to her if she was left unsupervised. So, Hiro decided that once she was finally discharged, he'll take her anywhere she wanted to go.

"There's a lot of Greek mythology books that explains how the stars are just fallen souls who have transcended to the sky to watch over the lives of their loved ones," Hiro continued to explain to her.

As his mind started to contemplate the legitimacy of this myth, he thought about his parents who would never come back to him. Hiro knew this story was nothing but a tall tale, but it was a bittersweet one if he had to voice his opinion.

If something was capable of making such a depressing thing a little happier, then why wouldn't he want to humor it? Somewhere past the logic in his brain, Hiro hoped his parents were actually up there, watching over him dotingly alongside Zero Two's father.

He hoped that his parents weren't too disappointed in him. He's done a lot of things that aren't worth being proud of, such as being aimless about his future and appearing like a hopeless idiot in front of everyone he's ever known.

Because of his own depression, he ended up pushing away people who only loved and cared about him and cut ties with any friends he made at school. These were all things that weren't too late for him to change now, but the progression towards reformation was slow...

Crap, he dozed off. Was Zero Two still paying attention to him? When Hiro shifted his body slightly to the right and looked back to where Zero Two was comfortably seated, he could tell that she was in the middle of her own deep thoughts.

After some more thorough contemplation, a soft giggle as gentle as the motion it moved his heart in and warmed the entire room rolled off Zero Two's tongue. Warmth crept up onto his flushed scarlet face; a combination of his own embarrassment over the words he spoke, but also due to the sound of her laughter. ...It did strange things to Hiro's body.

But instead of putting those said 'things' into question, he needed to save face for now.

"Of course, it's just a story though! I know it's ridiculous and that only an idiot would believe something like that..." Hiro's body turned back around to face the window again which was merely an attempt to hide his embarrassed expression from the other's sharp gaze.

A poor attempt at its best.

"Hey now. You don't have to go as far as to call yourself an idiot," Zero Two teased him a bit too cruelly. Hiro wasn't oblivious to what she was implying, and a low sigh exited from his mouth.

"Zero Two," Hiro grumbled, but not with any genuine disdain towards her. It was more of a telling sign that he was unimpressed with the opportunity she took upon herself to play with him.

It was bad enough he was already feeling humiliated. Hiro had been so mixed up in his current emotions that the boy failed to notice from behind him the sound of sheets sliding against its mattress and the small creak of metal rails being pushed against.

It wasn't until Hiro noticed movement from the corner of his right eye did he realize that Zero Two had stepped out of bed and joined him at his side. His eyes then proceeded to enlarge with paranoia.

"Zero Two, I don't think you should be up! Your fever-"

"Yeah, yeah. I've actually been feeling better! Kyou even said I might be able to leave sooner than she originally thought."

A relieved smile stretched along her face, more happy about her opportunity to leave this place quicker rather than her road to recovery.

Hiro took this moment to properly inspect the girl. True to her words, Zero Two indeed looked better than she has over the course of the past week. Her fever apparently hasn't gone down entirely, but she seemed less ill nowadays. If Zero Two had any leftover ailments, then she was really skilled at not letting them show in front of him.

The color had returned to her face, making her complexion a little more warm rather than the previous sickly pale. Her lips weren't chapped from what he could assume to be from dehydration either. His eyes ventured lower and received a clear view of Zero Two's exposed back that her hospital gown failed to cover up for days now.

Hiro's eyes immediately looked away from that area. He still wasn't used to seeing that much of Zero Two's body despite the fact that he's involuntarily seen her nearly nude already. It didn't seem right to stare at that part of Zero Two either even if her clothing put it on display to him.

After moving on from this, he also recalled how the girl's aura as a whole has completely changed. She seemed more and more like the vibrant girl he met in January. No more sad and forced smiles laced with buried secrets. Zero Two hasn't tried to push him away as of late either. Usually, she would rush him to return home just as soon as he would arrive here, but nowadays Zero Two was actually looking for reasons for him to stay.

He'd forgotten how much talking things out actually helped solved so many problems. If he and Zero Two continued to talk their problems out with one another in the future, would they be okay? He hoped so.

Zero Two still advised him to leave the room whenever she received her daily check-ups, but Hiro never questioned her about it. By the law, information disclosed between a patient and their doctor was confidential. He was not her family, therefore this was her personal matter alone that he couldn't come in between.

Even though he wanted to stay there and listen to everything they had to say so that he could know how to help take care of Zero Two better in the nurse's stead. Simply hearing about her improvement from a professional's mouth would make him feel better as well, but they didn't tell him anything when he asked.

"You're right. You do look like you've gotten a lot better," Hiro agreed with a slow nod. His eyes continued to openly stare at her with merely the innocent intention of making sure her bruises were healing as well.

However, the possibility of what it could seem like was what Zero Two took full advantage of.

"What are you staring at, you pervert?" With a frolicsome smile on her face, Zero Two teased him as she leaned over to see his face better. She expected to relish in a faint, crimson blush that would form on his face in return. However, that never came to fruition.

Instead of becoming bashful, fumbling over his words in the process of explaining why he was innocent, and hastily averting his gaze... He just smiled at her. It was a warm smile that was different from his others. Behind it, Zero Two could almost feel that Hiro was telling her he was happy she's alive, or something.

Unsure of how to respond to this, her triumph smirk gradually fell and she sat back up straight. Now she was the one averting her gaze and turning her head the other side. On the other hand, her interpretation of his look had been right. Hiro was genuinely happy that Zero Two was quickly returning to normal.

Assuming this was her normal at all. He still didn't know who exactly Zero Two was deep down inside; 'Zero Two' didn't even exist at all since he still didn't know her true name. However, the girl who stood before him actually existed and Hiro trusted that the person she was presenting to him now was a genuine part of the true 'Zero Two'.

"Well... That isn't the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

It took Hiro a moment to recall the nature of their conversation and that she hadn't actually developed the ability to read his mind overnight. She was only replying to the illogical statement about the story he embarrassingly told. When he looked back over at her, Hiro saw that the smile had returned to her face, but laid upon it more softly. Was she really considering what he said? It was only meant to cheer her up, but Hiro didn't expect her to actually humor him.

He would be lucky if it actually did anything outside of making her laugh over his silliness. Hiro didn't add to her statement however since he was unsure of what she was thinking in her head. Zero Two seemed very focused on the stars in the sky and he was very focused on the sight of her which Hiro quickly became lost in.

"By the way... Who decided on the names of the constellations and created their stories?" Zero Two randomly asked with her head turned to him again, fingers clasped behind her back patiently.

"It's not in the book?" Hiro questioned her with a sincere tone. Not a judging, or skeptical one.

Maybe Zero Two just hasn't gotten to it yet? Even that possibility was hard to believe. Zero Two has spent the remainder of her stay here going to town on that book and it was evident by how much deeper in the girl was each day he came to see her.

His visits here have become comfortably more quiet ever since Zero Two would attempt to multitask by speaking to him and reading the pages of her book at the same time. However, Zero Two would become so invested in the book that she'd forget that he was even here quite easily.

It was so enrapturing for him to watch her starry-eyed expression absorb all the words on each page with large interest and endless curiosity. Hiro loved how her brows would furrow up slightly when she didn't understand something explained too complexly. Then, how Zero Two would snap back to alertness only once she caught herself unintentionally ignoring him again.

Hiro never minded it, however. Seeing the girl so invested in something he'd given her was enough to sustain him. Yet whether it came from him or not shouldn't matter, just as long as Zero Two did not feel as if she was confined to a prison while she was here.

"Maybe. I haven't gotten to it yet, but... I'll understand it easier if you explain it to me."

A plain lie.

Zero Two could understand the explanations perfectly, she was just too discouraged to admit that she only wanted to listen to Hiro's voice because the sound of it played its role wonderfully as a soothing device for her. Fortunate enough for Zero Two, the boy would be too gullible to not immediately see through her.

Hiro nodded his head since he thought her reason was sound. Then, in his head, he tried to brainstorm on the best explanation to give Zero Two without confusing her as much as the book would.

"Well... To put it simply, it's unsure of who exactly invented them, but the earliest evidence we have of Greek constellations dates all the way back to—if I remember correctly—2000 B.C. But..."

Hiro's hand came to his chin in deep contemplation.

"...Constellations and what they represent have changed so much over time. I can't say for sure if the things we're taught today are the same as what they once were."

Hiro then shook his head lightly as if rejecting his own words, the hand that was on his chin now having fallen to his side. "The book should do a better job at explaining it than I can, or at least one that's more up-to-date. Sorry, I haven't touched that thing since I was a kid."

He hardly received the chance to fully brush up on it himself. By the time he was only one chapter deep, he quickly decided Zero Two would appreciate it more than he. Hiro wondered why she sought his wisdom in the first place? He had nothing over actual scientists.

"Hm... So, in that case, anyone can create a constellation, right?" Zero Two then asked and Hiro could finally see where this was going now.

"Well..." Hiro scratched his cheek uncertainly.

He was aware of the fact that stars could be bought for a massive sum, but an entire constellation? That seemed a bit much yet... He couldn't disappoint her either. Hiro shrugged his shoulders internally. Why the heck couldn't she?

"Sure, I guess so, but only you and the people you decide to tell about it will know of its existence," he explained to her.

"It'll stay between us then. I'll make one now," Zero Two declared buoyantly, the meaning of her words secretly touching Hiro's heart.

...Something that would solely be between the two of them?

Her eyes leafed through the sky, expecting a sudden burst of inspiration to hit her at any moment. When a minute passed and it never did, the girl's body deflated and her shoulders sagged considerably. The corners of her lips curved downwards to form a deeply disappointed frown.

"...It's harder than it seems," the girl muttered. "How do these scientists do it?"

Her bottom lip poked out to form a small pout which Hiro couldn't help but laugh over. Her pout grew bigger when Zero Two became aware of his unclear amusement and then turned to glare at him in the least threatening way possible.

"Oh? Are you laughing at me, Hiro?"

"N-No– Haha! ...It's just..." His sentence came to an abrupt stop so he could try to catch the oxygen that left his lungs. He couldn't tell her that he was laughing at her cuteness.

But Zero Two, who was clearly unaware of his flattering reason, was feeling more and more picked at by the second. The girl evidently couldn't dish what she served. The anger in her eyes flashed with determination now, a smirk coming upon her face like a predator that has just caught sight of their prey and was about to pounce.

That comparison wasn't an exaggeration either since a moment later, Hiro found his back colliding with the hard surface of the vinyl floor. A groan rose from his throat when the back of his head took the brunt of the fall, but luckily Hiro was only met with a pounding sensation in his skull and fleeting dizziness.

During that moment of lightheadedness, Zero Two had managed to place herself on top of him. Her hands pinned his arms to the floor by his wrists and her knees were situated on both sides of his hips. Zero Two towered over him with her beautifully dauntless eyes as sharp as ever while they peered down at him. Like a lioness who has captured an unsuspecting gazelle within the prairie grass.

That gazelle who would soon become her next meal. When Hiro came to the awareness of their newfound positions, he could feel his blood course in two directions. One surged to his face and heated up the skin on his cream-colored cheeks to a deeper shade of scarlet.

The other flowed downwards and Hiro shifted his lower-half uncomfortably beneath her, grateful that Zero Two hadn't decided to actually sit on top of him.

"Um..." Awkwardly, Hiro broke the tension. He wasn't the only one who felt this way, was he? But judging by Zero Two's expression up above, she didn't seem to be bothered by this peculiar situation.

"That's what you get for laughing at me. Now..." Her grip on his wrists tightened and her tone lowered in a hushed whisper, "Apologize to me."

Her intended tone was meant to sound threatening, but the only thing it threatened was Hiro's sanity. "Z-Zero Two..."

His blood pooled at his cheeks, making his face warmer by the second. His heart was running laps in his chest and it seriously was becoming harder for him to breathe. He couldn't even speak up without feeling that he'll fumble all over his words like a fool.

Then, Zero Two had the nerve to smirk at him. She didn't realize what she was actually doing to him and Hiro felt incredibly gross for even feeling this way in the first place. He really needed his space returned to him before the girl would find something she shouldn't. How to make her let up quicker?

The easiest way to do that was to relinquish to her.

"It's uh... I-It was nothing, Zero Two! I'm sorry for laughing at you," The boy hastily stated his words, hoping the faster he said what she wanted to hear then the faster Zero Two will release him.

"Hmm? I didn't quite hear you. Say it again and more clearly this time."

Zero Two smiled cockily, making it clear that she was messing with him now. It was hypocritical of her.

"But—"

He tried to protest with her unfairness, but her emerald eyes quickly narrowed into a warning glare. Hiro swallowed nervously, not wishing to know how his current position would worsen if he didn't give her what she wanted now.

"I said I'm sorry for laughing at you! I wasn't doing it to tease you, or anything!"

This time Hiro was much louder and he immediately became aware that he'd disturbed the patient from across Zero Two's bed when the boy heard them groan irritably out of their slumber. It was easy for him to forget that it wasn't just the two of them occupying this space.

"Yeah, right. Then, what else were you doing it for?"

His smile dropped into a small frown, eyes looking down at him with the most unconvinced gaze. Zero Two was waiting impatiently for his excuse that she had already surmised the answer to inside her head.

"It's..." A hesitation waved through his heart at the same time he felt it leap in his chest from the possibility of admitting the truth to her. He just couldn't say something like that!

So, Hiro bashfully averted his gaze and tilted his head to the side. "It's nothing. Nevermind."

He then squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the punishment that Zero Two was sure to enact for not giving her the information she wanted from him. Unfortunately for him, Zero Two would live up to his expectations too.

The girl squinted her eyes at him, clearly not about to let him off easily. "Hiro, if you won't tell me then you leave me no choice..." The ends of her pink strands brushed against his arms lightly, tickling his skin in the process.

God, here it came. Hiro grimaced, preparing himself for whatever the other had planned. Whatever his mind made him believe she would do-

"...But to tickle you!"

-It definitely wasn't _that_.

Her hands slid underneath his shirt, causing Hiro to gasp from the unexpected physical contact. Her somewhat colder hands made him jump in his skin, but her fingers attacking all along his sides was what prevented the suggestiveness of their positions from transpiring into anything more for Hiro.

"W–Waaait! Zero Two-"

Hiro jostled underneath her as a spasmodic laughter erupted from him, the corners of his mouth lifting into a large grin. She continued to relentlessly attack his weakest points with her moving fingertips, the tingling sensation spreading all over the places she targeted in bursts along his skin.

It took him a couple moments to even realize his arms have been freed and when the recollection hit him, Hiro used his hands to grab onto Zero Two's wrists and pull her own out from underneath his shirt. Next, he raised his right leg as an attempt to forcibly put some space between their bodies. This caused his knee to move in between her thighs, but Hiro didn't realize the unfit placement of his leg at the moment.

Right now he was only focused on evading his punishment and trying to calm down from the attack of her fingers by catching his breath.

The volume of Hiro's laughter gradually died down, his chuckles lasting for smaller lengths until they could no longer be heard from his lips. The boy hoped he hadn't disturbed the other patient in the room even more with his and Zero Two's, erm... Boisterous behavior.

"Okay, okay." Deep inhale, deep exhale. "You got me. Are we even now, Zero Two?"

...Hiro's lids slowly reopened when she didn't immediately respond. Concernedly, he looked up at Zero Two and examined her face. That was when Hiro realized something was off. There was a faint hue of red that had returned to her cheeks, making Hiro believe that her fever was acting up due to all the physical activity.

She looked even a little sickly again and with the vantage Hiro had being right underneath her, he could see that Zero Two was biting down on her bottom lip as if she were trying to hold something back. Maybe she was feeling nauseous?

"...Zero Two? Come on, let's move you back to bed."

Hiro shifted his leg beneath her as an effort to get up, but the weight of Zero Two's body prevented him from accomplishing that as easily as he had hoped. That was then when he became aware that his knee was pressing against something that was soft and felt like incredibly warm flesh.

Then, he heard it. The sound of the girl quietly sucking in her breath met his ears and it finally dawned on Hiro what was unfolding here. The blood in his face became hot to the core and he quickly retracted his knee, laying flat beneath her again.

"I, um..." _Don'tmentionitdon'tmentionit!_

He wouldn't mention it. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to search for the words within his scattered brain to tell her to get off of him since Zero Two would soon do so on her own. The second her knees retracted themselves from each side of his hips and his space was gladly returned to him, Hiro took a long-awaited, deep exhale.

Even though his personal space had been returned to him, Hiro could still clearly feel how flushed his face was by the heat that did not immediately dissipate. Instead, it spread from his cheeks to the tips of his ears which Hiro could feel burning up at this very moment. His heart continued to beat rapidly as if Zero Two was still on top of him, his brain unable to erase the memory of what should've never taken place.

God, he couldn't even look over at Zero Two since he was too afraid to meet her eyes. She would probably be disappointed in him and he didn't want to see Zero Two look at him that way even if it was probably running through her mind already.

The boy quickly sat up with his bottom still seated on the hard floor. His head made sure to turn the other way so it did not do as much as accidentally catch a glimpse of Zero Two. However, he can still see her half her body from his peripheral. As well as her beautiful, pink hair that flowed long enough for the ends to touch the floor in her seated position.

No! He just made her incredibly uncomfortable yet he's still thinking of Zero Two like that? What was wrong with him?

How was he even supposed to get them back to where they originally and innocently had been? With an awkward, forced cough, he tried his best to continue their conversation from earlier as normal.

"A-Anyway, creating your own constellation is a difficult task. Give it some time and it'll come to you, okay?"

"Mm..." Zero Two nodded her head slowly, eyes staring at the head that was turned from her and faced the opposite wall. She wanted to say something to him, but he was clearly not adamant about saying anything to her.

This led her to contemplate if Hiro regretted touching her like that, even if accidentally, because he found her repulsive.

"And as soon as I do, I'll show it to you immediately."

"Mm." Hiro stiffly responded.

While there have been so many silent moments like this between them, the air had never felt as incredibly awkward and tense as now. Hiro couldn't decide between wanting to explode, or getting up and run away without saying as much as another word to her so that he wouldn't mess this up any further by saying something idiotic. But he knew either of those things would be wrong to do to Zero Two.

As with everything, he always considered her emotions before his.

The sudden vibration in his right pocket was his saving grace and that was not even the slightest exaggeration. Hiro let out the heaviest sigh of relief before he went to fish his phone out from his pants, already aware of what was waiting for him on it. And just as he was doing so, Zero Two quickly stood back up onto her feet and dashed back to her bed.

Zero Two plopped down onto her mattress with marvelous energy that was proof of her speedy recovery. Then, her hands grabbed the bento box from her nightstand that was nearly emptied aside from a few more treats that she hadn't eaten with the cooked, white rice that was originally there.

Hiro craned his neck to watch Zero Two begin to stuff the remaining tiny, octopus-shaped sausages into her mouth without any means of stopping to properly swallow her food right on the spot.

Hiro lightly chuckled at her before he spared his phone a glance to read the reminder he set on his phone to tell him when to head home before it grew too late. Mistilteinn was naturally a large and tireless city which meant it was even more dangerous to walk around in at night. He needed to beat the clock if he didn't wish to worry Zero Two, his Papa, and siblings unnecessarily.

Just as his finger disregarded the large notification, his eyes traveled downwards and lingered over the honeycomb nest keychain that still hung from the auxiliary port of his phone decoratively. Remembering that Zero Two also owned a matching charm, Hiro wondered if she still used it? He's never seen her with her phone, only aware that she owned one because of their frequent text messages.

Was he the only one still wearing his so specially? Hiro wondered, but didn't have the courage to ask and embarrass himself more today.

He smoothly slid his phone back into the snugness of his jean pocket before his brain would get too into that and stood up from the floor. Hiro then looked back at Zero Two whom he became worried for, believing she would accidentally choke herself at the rate she was scurrying to get the food down her throat.

"Zero Two. I don't have to return home with the bento box tonight. I'll just pick it up tomorrow afternoon. I made it for you after all."

It only made sense for Zero Two to eat it at her own pace since it was her substitute meal for the hospital's "plain and boring prison food". This was what she referred to it as during the very verbal exchange that motivated Hiro into bringing her outside meals. Since he often rotated the responsibility of helping cook dinner at home with his siblings, Hiro knew the basics of how to handle a stove and oven. As well as a fair number of recipes to be able to put together an edible bento box for Zero Two the night before.

Thankfully, she seemed to appreciate them with how quickly she went to town on them. Seeing Zero Two eat in front of him was a relieving confirmation that she wasn't starving herself due to the distress of her current situation.

"Ugh."

Zero Two lowered the bento box to her lap, chopsticks being held by her fingers in one hand. Her cheeks were still puffed out from the chunks of meat she stuffed into her mouth all at once and it made quite a comedic sight for Hiro to leave with rather than the uncomfortable situation that arose seconds ago.

"You should've told me that before!" she complained noisily yet rather inaudibly considering how full her mouth currently was. Luckily, Hiro still could make out what Zero Two was saying beyond the muffled and mangled speech.

It made Hiro crack a smile at her. Zero Two... God, she didn't know of the things she did to him. He almost didn't want to part with her, but it was best for them to both have their space after tonight's events.

He could still feel his heart beating away in his chest at a rate his mind told him was faster than usual. A walk home should clear his head.

"I have to go now. I'll see you again tomorrow, okay? Have a good night, Zero Two."

Hiro grabbed his schoolbag from his chair. It was still spring break, so there was no need for him to still carry it around. However, it was the only thing he had that would carry the items he wanted to bring into the hospital and give to Zero Two. So, it sufficed.

Just as he smiled one last time at his friend and was about to turn his body around completely, he felt Zero Two's warm and slender fingers wrap around his hand. Surprised by both the touch more than the fact she stopped him altogether, Hiro slowly turned his head back around and looked down at her questionably.

This time Hiro wasn't left to contemplate what could possibly be the problem. One glimpse of the shakiness in her emerald pools was enough to let him in on the root cause of her sudden impulse. In her eyes, Hiro saw a wavering fear. Fear of what, he did not know. Did she believe he would abandon her?

This was enough to set him back, but what was more important here was the fact that Zero Two was willingly allowing him to look into the problem before assessing it.

"You promise?" she asked him in a hushed whisper.

Then, she allowed him to proceed to find a solution to it.

Her other problems would be left unvoiced and to fester inside her heart until it became too heavy for her to shoulder alone. Whatever fears Zero Two was having inside her heart right now, he would be there to immediately ease them away.

That's what he swore to do.

The corners of Hiro's lips curled into a reassuring smile that sent a warmth radiating throughout Zero Two's chest, as it was compiled with all of the trust she felt for him and all of the love he felt for her.

"I promise."

Her fingers slowly released his hand and fell back to her side; a sure sign that she felt at peace with his answer. Zero Two genuinely returned his smile.

"Goodnight, Hiro."

At his side, his fingers subconsciously and longingly reached for hers in the place her hand no longer was before they would slowly curl back into themselves.

"...Night, Zero Two."

* * *

College has begun for me, so future updates from this point on may be a lot slower. From here on out, I will start to delve into the more intimate part of HiroTwo's attraction towards one another rather than only romantic too.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and find that it was worth the wait. Please leave a comment and allow me to hear your thoughts!

\- Michie


	9. Hazy Recollections

Here's the new chapter! If you spot any errors, don't worry about it since I plan to run through this again and fix anything that sounds weird. However, for the most part, I believe it's sufficient. We're digging deeper into the plot as you'll see and things will only open up even more from here on. Chapter 10 should be coming quicker than this one took to publish due to the fact that I had to split up the original length of Chap 9 in half. I broke my record with 20k words, nearly tilting towards 30k... Wow.

Now that the chapter has been published for a few days, I'll like to once again say thank you to everyone who's been patient with me. I hope this chapter and the next one makes you guys happy. Leave me feedback when you can!

* * *

 **March 2, 2028**

 **5:14 AM**

Hiro abruptly awoke from his slumber with a sharp gasp, his body trying desperately to draw air into his lungs. His forehead was slightly damp with the sweat droplets that accumulated there, his sheets wrapped around his limbs haphazardly. This small amount of sweat coated the skin beneath his dark blue pajama pants and his chest, pricking the surface of his white shirt.

His chest rose up and down heavily between intervals while his eyes desperately scanned his bedroom through the obscure darkness and intently checked every corner. He was hoping to find someone who normally wasn't there, but as always, Hiro came out with the sinking realization that his dreams were separate from reality instead.

An exasperated sigh left his lips before Hiro laid back down on his mattress and waited for his breaths to even itself out again. It took several seconds until Hiro's body calmed down again. It took several more for him to regain the strength to roll over onto his side and reach for his phone on the nightstand.

As soon as his thumb turned the screen on, the brightness that shone into his eyes forced the boy to squint them since they weren't adjusted to the light yet. His only mission was to read the time which he accomplished quickly, lowering his phone back down onto its face afterward.

He then rested his swollen red eyes. Hiro still felt overheated in the stuffy room, so he lazily used his feet to push his bed sheets down to his knees. He let out a small relieved sigh when the cool air reached him.

For these past two months, he's felt stuck inside an endless cycle. Hiro would slip into his sheets for the night and quickly fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Then, he would have a long and questionable dream that left him with no answers when he jostled out of the sequence in a cold sweat. To add to this unpleasant nightly pattern, Hiro would involuntarily wake up a few hours later from the time he initially went to bed.

This left Hiro with the inability to get the proper rest he needed every night and he always felt these consequences the next morning.

The oddest thing about this recurring event was that his dreams always comprised the same things. There were nights in which his brain could conjure other plots, but they were infrequent between his rebound dreams.

As Hiro laid in the center of his bed, he knew he was unwilling to immediately to fall back asleep. If he did so, then he might return to _that_ dream which was prone to start itself over like an endless loop.

The first half of the dream was a nightmare that has followed Hiro since he was a child, forcing Hiro to relive the fatal accident that took his parents away from him. The nightmare took a larger toll on him when he was younger and the traumatic memory was fresher in his mind, resulting in a lot of more sleepless nights and multiple involuntary bed accidents.

The treatment he took for these night terrors have helped suppress their severity for years, but as of late, it seemed like they were losing their effect. He was considering switching to a new medication since it apparently wasn't safe to move up another dosage of his current prescription.

The second half of the dream was less of a nightmare and more of a regular dream with a deep, underlying meaning he failed to understand. In the dream sequence, he would always wake up in a hospital bed similar to the one from his past. Despite Hiro only being five at the time of the accident, he knew everything about this hospital was nearly exact to the one from his memories.

The first thing he did in his dream was to leave his bed and search the large building for his parents. In his head, Hiro already knew his parents were deceased, but this acknowledgment didn't stop him from searching up and down for them in desperation.

Yet every time he would end up unsuccessful and no matter which routes he took, Hiro always ran into this mysterious little girl instead of his parents. She appeared to be around the same age as he. She had long and pink flowing hair that stopped at her lower back, swaying side to side when the unidentifiable girl led him on a wild goose chase around the hospital.

The pitter-patter of her bare feet running up and down the halls would be his only focus and a hint to where in the maze-like building she was. Normally, it would seem strange for a little girl to run around in public with nothing to protect her feet, but she was always dressed in a standard hospital gown for children. This told Hiro that she was as much of a patient at this hospital as he was.

And usually, this mysterious girl was quiet no matter how many questions he yelled from across the other end of the hall. However, sometimes she _did_ speak.

"You've gotta be quick if you wanna catch me!" Her young voice would tauntingly call out to him, possibly belonging to a ten-year-old or eleven-year-old. Despite her tone, it was the softest voice his ears have ever heard.

The girl spoke with so much life in her voice and would fill the bright, white halls with her eruptions of giggles. Then, she would turn her head to the side just slightly to look back at him; most likely making sure he was still following behind her.

Hiro never received a clear view of her face. Everything was always a hazy image for him, except her pretty and warm smile. It was as if the smile indicated that she was happy to be leading him on since the child would just turn her head back around and continue to sprint.

Hiro would never stop chasing her until he had his answers no matter how many sleepless nights passed for him. At least, that was his drive in the dream. The boy had different priorities when he awoke which circled around interacting with his family, continuing to pick up his own grades, and Zero Two. He tried to suppress thoughts of that odd girl as much as he could so it would only interfere with his days at nighttime.

Suppressing it always worked until he visited Zero Two at the hospital and the familiarity of the setting would force his mind to remember the frustrating reason for his sleepless nights. Thankfully, Zero Two always prevented him from zoning out to overthink these things with her strong and distracting presence. He would always forget about the girl only until he had to leave Zero Two's side.

 _Ugh._

It hurt his head to think about the repetitive day in store for him later. Without looking, Hiro reached his arm out towards his nightstand as his fingers searched for his bottled water. Upon finding it, his fingers clasped around the plastic bottle and lifted it up from the table as his other hand quickly undid the cap.

Hiro then brought the tip of the bottle to his lips and tilt his head back slightly to allow the cool water to relieve his parched throat. He took two deep gulps, then three, and a couple more until the boy realized that everything left in the bottle was now all gone. With a rejuvenated sigh, Hiro placed the empty and less balanced bottle back onto his nightstand then laid his body back down.

The boy closed his lids and started to think more about this phenomenon. This was already happening to him before the recent changes in his life, but it's become more frequent due to his countless visits to the hospital. However, he couldn't put Zero Two at fault for his restlessness; she had no direct role in that.

It was only an unfortunate coincidence that she was admitted to a place that would inevitably cause his nightmares to increase. Hiro would rather die than stop visiting her for the sake of a good night's rest.

But even with all those reasons in mind, his dreams still made little sense. Often, it felt like less of a horrible and confusing dream to Hiro and more like a memory his brain was trying to get him to recall. However, it was possible that the situation was just driving him insane enough to the point of overthinking it.

Hiro's lids reopened.

Fully aware that no matter how hard he worked his brain over it, the answers wouldn't miraculously come to him tonight. Therefore, Hiro reached out for his phone again and rubbed at his stinging eyes, trying to prepare himself to stay up for an additional hour or two. After that, he would make his second attempt to rest.

* * *

 **March 2, 2028**

 **3:50 PM**

"Hah! Eat shit, dude!" Zorome yelled rather loudly for the hundredth time that day into Hiro's ears which were definitely still ringing. He now regretted choosing to sit next to his active younger brother when he accepted his challenge to play video games against him.

Hiro had forgotten how much enthusiasm he contained in such a small body. He'd also forgotten how much Zorome liked to _talk_ during games, taking every moment to taunt Hiro when he made silly mistakes on the battlefield that results in him dying pathetically on numerous occasions.

It was embarrassing. Hiro knew he'd become rusty, but he didn't think he'd be _this_ horrendous at it. Their scores were currently at a gap with Zorome at 20 points and Hiro with only 5 points at show off.

He died in every way possible during the multi-player mode. Zorome has surprised him from behind, has sent hound dogs his way, tossed a bunch of bombs his direction which made it hard for him to escape the blow despite how fast he attempted to flee the area.

The sixth or maybe seventh round had passed when Hiro finally began to redeem himself, regaining his memory of the controls and how to see through Zorome's fighting techniques.

He had all of his attacks monitored by now since his brother was crafty, but not quite smart enough to come up with alternatives to his tactics. In short, he tended to pull the same tactics, so Hiro was certain he knew how to beat Zorome by now.

Or so he believed until he landed the finishing blow that would put all his progress to shame: A nuke.

It demolished everything in sight and a loud explosion followed with a white screen meant to resemble the flash from the attack. Next, the words 'You Are Dead' came into view on the screen; bold and bright red in front of a greyed out camera angle of his avatar's corpse.

Christ. How the heck was that allowed?!

"HAH! You fuckin' loser! I told you Zorome The Great would wipe your ass out. I bet you'll think _twice_ before taking me up again, won't you?!"

A frustrated but resigned sigh escaped Hiro's mouth. His set his controller to the side on the couch and placed it in between Goro and himself. His older brother, who sat to the left of him, watched the entire tragedy take place. Whereas Zorome was on his right, but no longer seated since he was loudly doing his victory dance.

Zorome has wanted to beat Hiro at a game since forever. His skills used to be something worth challenging back before his mental state started to slowly deteriorate. Therefore, with his idleness from basic fun like this, it was the least surprising that Zorome was so eager to challenge him at something he's been gaining experience with for years.

Therefore, Hiro could allow him to have this. He felt beat and was no longer in the mood to make rebuttals.

"Hey, you'll kick his ass next time. You just have to get back into it," Goro tried to cheer him up, flashing one of his usual encouraging smiles as he slapped him on the back as a familial gesture.

Albeit it was with more force than Hiro appreciated. He still returned the smile through his slight strain, however, trying to ignore the lingering sting on his back.

"Thanks," Hiro told him in a defeated tone, but that feeling of loss wouldn't remain for long.

He felt a vibration go off in his pocket a couple seconds later, causing him to fish out his phone and check to see who was trying to get in contact with him. He was already home, so Hiro could quickly rule out it being any of his family members.

Only two other people messaged him. One was his therapist who only checked in to remind him of his appointments, but it wasn't nearly close to that date yet. The only person that left was Zero Two.

Electricity coursed through his veins at the thought of it being her initiating the conversation for the first time in forever. When Hiro fully took his phone out from his pocket and looked down at the notification still present on the bright screen, the boy couldn't feel any happier to find out that his suspicions were right!

If he had Goro's pair of eyes, it would embarrass Hiro to see how much of a doofus he looked like at this moment with the large and dopey grin stretched across his face.

Saying nothing, Hiro stood up from the couch and allowed his feet to guide him into the kitchen without looking up to seek his privacy. His eyes—which were practically sparkling in fixation right now—were too busy being glued to his screen the entire time. Hiro took his time to read the only message that stuck out to him amongst the rest equivalent to spam.

Meanwhile, Goro laid back into the couch with his arms resting behind his head; a knowing look comfortable on his face. At the same time, the golden blond-haired boy was contemplating offering to play with Zorome next to keep him distracted.

 **"I'm getting discharged today!"**

His heart skipped a beat. She was finally being released? This was great news for both of them! He wouldn't try to contain his excitement either.

 **"Really?! That's amazing news!"**

Hiro's mind thought of all the things the girl could finally do now that she was no longer bound to the hospital. It's only been two weeks, but those weeks certainly felt long to him. Therefore, they surely felt longer to Zero Two.

The first thing she might want to do is... To treat herself by indulging in something sweet? He's seen close-up how much of a good mood it tended to place her in. Hiro decided he would go with that then. Just as his fingers hovered over the keyboard to send something back, they stayed there longer than he expected them too.

For some reason, he'd frozen up and could only feel his heart drumming against his chest nervously. His stomach felt squeamish. Was it okay to ask her out someplace so suddenly? Would it make him seem too eager? Hiro felt paranoid that this may be the case despite Zero Two's recent change in behavior that suggested otherwise.

Hiro closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head as if to shake his nerves off. With the fleeting courage he had, the nervous yet still so determined boy began to move his fingers across the tall screen.

 **"Zero Two..."**

 **"Is it okay if..."**

He backspaced entirely, erasing everything he typed in those few seconds. He wanted to word this in the best way possible. After taking a couple of more seconds to think, Hiro went to try again. However, he realized that Zero Two had beaten him to the punch once he saw the indication that she was already typing a message.

Hiro's heart raced.

The boy swallowed hard and waited for Zero Two to get out what she needed to say first while the butterflies ran amuck in his stomach. What was only a minute felt like five to Hiro, who'd been staring at his phone the entire time, before it finally received a message followed by a soft chime.

When he eagerly read what she sent, he couldn't believe his eyes:

 **"Yup, yup! Since I'm finally free from jail, wanna hang out?"**

Hiro was astounded. It was as if their minds formed some kind of connection that allowed Zero Two to look into his thoughts, but Hiro knew that wasn't plausible. How was it possible that they were both thinking the same thing at the same time?

Although despite his surprise, this also made Hiro feel tremendously relieved and suddenly, all of the anxiety and needless paranoia exited his body. With neither of those obtrusive things dominating his head, Hiro could allow himself to laugh casually over Zero Two's theatrics about her extended stay at the hospital.

True. It was a nightmare to them, but for both their own reasons. That's what he believed.

 **"Sure. Where do you want to go?"**

He was already thinking of all the dessert and candy shops nearby that she could possibly drag him to. Although, 'drag' was an overstatement since Hiro would go just about anywhere with Zero Two. She was taking a while to reply to him this time, but Hiro simply assumed it was because she was thinking of a place to come up with.

While he waited, Hiro decided to at least pull out a chair and take a seat. In that second, a vibration occurred in his hand from the device he was still holding onto; indicating Zero Two's eventual response.

Ready to continue their conversation, Hiro read what she sent him.

 **"Sorry, I was changing into my clothes."**

Even though she was not directly in front of him, Hiro couldn't help but feel bashful from reading this text. It created a certain imagery inside his head that Hiro knew didn't belong there. Images of Zero Two's bare, cream-white back in her revealing hospital gown flashed in the boy's mind for a moment. While it filled him with those little concerns for her, it also left very little to the imagination.

The sudden, unwanted hardening that arose in his pants brought Hiro back down from his thoughts and inevitably the shame hit Hiro.

Hiro tried to kill these thoughts before they—or _it_ —could fester. God, he shouldn't be thinking of Zero Two like that at all. She was his _friend_ and he thought the same of her.

Instead, he should be thinking about his wallet that was about to suffer another loss.

 **"Anyway, we're having ice cream. Meet me at Cherry On Top in 20 minutes!"**

 **"I won't be late."**

Hiro intended to carry out that promise too. He pocketed his phone and scurried upstairs into his room, changing into something presentable enough to let Zero Two see him in. Once he was satisfied with his jeans and a light grey button-up, Hiro rushed down the stairs and bolted towards the door to put his shoes on.

He scurried past the living room which connected to the center of the manor, making it impossible for Zorome and Goro not to notice him about to leave. If not for his loud footsteps from going up and down the house being a dead giveaway.

"Another date?" Goro teased him, making it clear that his question was rhetorical. Somehow his brother always knew when he was about to see Zero Two and it almost scared Hiro at times.

From beside him, the shorter boy grumbled lowly as his hands aggressively jabbed at the buttons on his controller. Hiro would ignorantly believe Zorome was just invested in his game instead of seeing that he was actually jealous of Zero Two and him.

"Yeah!" Hiro replied instinctively without thinking, so accustomed to all of their jabs by now that sometimes he no longer felt the need to correct them.

But when he realized his mistake, Hiro took a short pause. "I mean... You know what I mean!" He shook his head; he couldn't be late.

"Tell Papa I'll be home before dinner!"

Had they replied then, Hiro didn't catch it because he quickly closed the door behind himself once his shoes were completely on. With an old and small, but convenient backpack equipped to his back, Hiro was ready for everything the world had to show him today.

Hopefully, Zero Two wouldn't beat him to their meeting point.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **March 2, 2028**

 **4:15 PM**

Hiro watched in admiration as Zero Two happily dug into a very large bowl of ice cream, scooping up more than what honestly could fit onto the silver spoon in her right hand.

The glass bowl that held together the tall mountain of different ice cream flavors was quite massive in Hiro's eyes. Just the thought of stomaching those five large scoops in one sitting made him feel slightly nauseous. How Zero Two did it was beyond Hiro.

Inside the bowl was an assortment of vanilla, dark chocolate, strawberry, cotton candy, and cherry ice cream doused in warm caramel syrup. It was the unhealthiest choice for lunch he's ever seen anyone have in front of him, but instead of feeling his breakfast come back up his throat, Hiro simply relished in the other's glee over the sugar-inducing treat.

What she decided to put into her stomach mattered not to Hiro, so as long as Zero Two was happy.

"...Is it good?" The boy asked, even though he honestly didn't need to.

By the rate in which Zero Two was downing her food, it was already apparent how much she was enjoying it. The girl ate it as if it would disappear from her reach if she didn't do so quickly enough and it was charming in an odd way.

To be truthful, he wasn't only seeking her approval of the snack he paid for at all. Hiro just wanted to hear her voice.

"Mm!" Zero Two exclaimed with chunks of unmelted ice cream fattening her cheeks, a large smile visible on her bright face.

He didn't know why the coldness of the dessert pressing against her teeth didn't discomfort her, but Zero Two looked completely alive right now and that's what mattered most to him. This was also the first time he's seen her in something other than her hospital gown, or standardized school uniform.

Zero Two looked good no matter what she wore, but Hiro thought her features stood out even more in her casual clothes. She still sported the regular, vivid red scarf around her neck and underneath that was a maroon, long-sleeve shirt. Her shirt was accompanied by pants and they both covered up everything her hospital gown failed to at that time.

This should've filled him with relief since Hiro didn't feel the need to avert his eyes as much now. Yet instead, it unsettled him tremendously when the boy thought about the true purpose of those sleeves. Hiro still felt conflicted with the information he learned that night on the rooftop, but it didn't feel appropriate to bring it up to her again.

He could see how uncomfortable the topic made her and he wouldn't ruin Zero Two's celebratory discharge by approaching the subject.

"Want some?"

Like a magnet, Hiro's mind couldn't withstand the way Zero Two's voice automatically pulled him back into the present. His eyes looked at her face, then to the spoon in her hand before they returned to her expectant expression.

With his mind having been previously preoccupied with thoughts of her, it took his brain three seconds to process this new thing that was happening before him. Once he did, Hiro quickly shook his hand to brush off her offer.

"No, I'm okay. Seriously, Zero Two. I'm happy with just paying for it."

He thought that would be the end of it, but then, Zero Two clicked her tongue against her front teeth.

"You shot me down last time. You know what? I've already made up my mind. You're gonna have a bite and you're gonna like it."

Her straightforward and intrepid attitude sounded familiar; as well as her choice of words. When Hiro came to the realization that it was _himself_ Zero Two was mimicking, he felt the heat rise up his neck and settle at his face.

Did he really sound that lame and forceful when he pushed that book onto her? He wanted to hide his face into his hands, but wouldn't be given the opportunity to pursue that escape. That was so because, the next thing Hiro knew, there was a spoon being shoved in front of his face.

The bowl of the spoon held up a large chunk of cherry-flavored ice cream, coated in caramel syrup that was close to spilling onto the clean table they sat at.

Inside his head, Hiro quickly prayed that he wouldn't get a cavity from this before he made the regrettable choice of opening his mouth for her. The boy now waited for the sugary condiments to awaken his taste buds in either the best or worst way possible.

The cold spoon entered his mouth before a terrible sweetness would soon make his taste buds recoil. The taste was so overpowering that it overruled his initial embarrassment about the intimacy of this act overall. After all, it was hard for Hiro to focus on any of that as much when his mouth was crying for water to help wash this down.

There was way too much caramel and not enough cherry.

He shut his lids and attempted to soldier through this, doing his absolute best _not_ to show his struggle to accept the powerful assortment of flavors on his own tongue. He'd rather pretend to enjoy something than risk upsetting Zero Two.

As Hiro continued to chew it up, he realized that the taste wasn't about to get any better for him. The flavor she chose wasn't a very extreme mix out of the rest in her bowl, but Hiro could only taste the caramel that was loud in his mouth.

Luckily for his sake, the dessert melted rather quickly in his mouth as all ice cream did and allowed the sweet experience to be over with very shortly. When he finally reopened his lids, her cute and excited expression greeted Hiro.

"How is it?" Zero Two asked him in such a hopeful tone that Hiro felt it was difficult to tell her the truth despite how minor it was. Still, he made a promise to her.

"That wasn't so bad. Just cut down on the syrup a bit next time, please?" he told her while trying to force the best smile he could manage onto his face. Hopefully, it looked natural enough to not let Zero Two in on how much that had really disgusted him.

Thankfully, it seemed to work since the bright sun before Hiro answered him with a nod and a continuous beautiful smile.

"Less sugar. Got it."

Hiro didn't doubt she would actually make a mental note of that, but if he could keep that smile on Zero Two's face, then he wouldn't mind enduring this small thing a few more times in the future.

"Oh," she suddenly said which led Hiro's eyes into looking into hers questionably.

However, her own eyes were already focused on a part of his face. With her arm pressed against the table for support, all of a sudden, Zero Two started to lean in rather closely towards him. This caused his heart pound so hard against his chest that Hiro was nearly certain it would burst right out then and there.

"Z... Zero Two?"

With the girl still not saying anything to him, she began to reach out towards Hiro with her right hand. Hiro wasn't certain what he was expecting to take place from here on out, but his instincts told him to close his eyes and prepare for it no matter the cause.

Then, he finally felt her thumb swipe at the corner of his mouth.

 _Huh?_

Hiro's lids quickly reopened so his confused turquoise eyes could stare at her for an answer about her abrupt behavior.

"You had a bit of ice cream around your mouth," Zero Two finally answered his confusion, displaying her thumb to him which indeed had a small speck of cherry ice cream on it.

Hiro let out a softly deflating exhale of understanding. So, that was all that was? He wanted to chide himself for expecting something different in the first place.

"Thank you, Zero Two," Hiro told her as he cracked a small smile, trying to fight through the nervousness that had yet to settle down. "Although, I can get it myself next time."

He'd gotten worked up for nothing, but at least his nerves had a chance to calm down now. Or so the boy thought he could. Hiro watched as Zero Two brought the same thumb she used to clean his mouth to her _own_ , licking the speck of ice cream up as if she hadn't taken it from his face.

Hiro didn't know how to react to this other than turning his head to the side to hide his cheeks that were tinged with a dark red color. He then tried to focus on anything else in the room that could distract him from what Zero Two just done.

Judging by the return of the clinks of metal and glass clashing together, this told Hiro that Zero Two was more than preoccupied at the moment to notice his inner conflict.

Hiro still remembered what he wanted to tell her today, but he decided to wait since he didn't want to disrupt her dessert time for it. Fortunately, he wouldn't be left to wait long since Zero Two was an incredibly fast eater and emptied her bowl in the blink of an eye.

He turned back to her when he heard the sound of the spoon being dropped into the emptiness of her bowl after only five minutes. Hiro was surprised that she managed to down that all in such a short time without obtaining any brain freeze. Did that actually happen to people? Hiro wasn't certain.

"Are you full?" Hiro asked her rhetorically with a playful smile present on his face, believing that he already knew her answer.

Only he didn't.

"Hm... Not really! I could go for another."

Hiro's turquoise eyes widened slightly at her claim before he started to laugh nervously under his breath. His nervousness didn't derive from him not having the money for seconds, but because Hiro was worried the girl would attempt to eat more than what her stomach could handle.

"Let's wait for the ice cream to settle first. Okay, Zero Two?"

In response, Zero Two pouted but agreed reluctantly with a nod. This made Hiro chuckle at her internally. They were both seniors, but at times like these, it was strange for Hiro to think that it felt like he was dealing with an underclassmen instead.

Both of Zero Two's elbows were on the table now with her chin resting against the palm of her left hand. They had a seat right beside a large window which allowed her emerald eyes to be transfixed by whatever was outside it.

Hiro couldn't help but think that she whatever she was looking at couldn't be any more mesmerizing than what laid within his current view. He believed now would be the best time to bring up what he's been meaning to ask her.

"Zero– Ugh."

Just then a sharp sensation assaulted Hiro from the top of his head which made the boy clench his teeth together and bring a hand up to his head to hold it. It was a pain that began right above his forehead, then spread out towards his temples.

It felt like someone decided to open up his head and persistently stab at the base of his brain with the pointy ends of several objects. Hiro has suffered from these occurrences before, but they've been more frequent as of late and the pain has only elevated for him over time.

He couldn't possibly tell what could've triggered it this time. Was it a rebound from last night? Hiro couldn't hide his discomfort as he reluctantly grimaced and let out a small groan; something that undoubtedly gathered Zero Two's attention.

When the girl noticed the small episode unraveling right in front of her, her brows furrowed together in both perplex and concern for him.

"What's wrong, Hiro?"

Hearing Zero Two say his name led Hiro's eyes back to her, but attempting to focus them brought on little specks of white dots into his vision for a brief moment. This was a usual sign that it was about to turn into something bigger whether it was now, or later.

Apparently, it would be later since his headache only lasted for a couple of seconds prior to when it attacked him out of nowhere. It randomly ebbed in then ebbed out just like that. Hiro didn't have any other explanation for this than his recurring insomnia, but the fact that his sleep problems were spilling over into his daytime activities so drastically rose red flags within his head.

But with the problem no longer present, Hiro let out a relieved sigh. His body couldn't have picked a worse time to act out on him than now. He prayed that Zero Two wouldn't ask any questions because frankly, he didn't have the answer to them either.

"S... Sorry about that, Zero Two. My head was acting a little funny just now. Can you forget what you saw?"

"Of course I can't," The girl responded with slightly narrowed eyes, her tone entering a very serious mode compared to the usual honey that was always present in her voice when she was relaxed.

Were she standing up, her hands would be on her hips in protest right about now, but instead, Zero Two folded them against her ample chest. She was not angry with Hiro; no. Just merely concerned to the point that Hiro's lack of priority for his own health annoyed her.

This was coming from the same person who would want to send for a nurse the moment she felt the slightest wave of nausea in bed. It was a godsend that he actually wasn't there for the times she regurgitated her fluids back into the toilet, or else Hiro might've never left her side.

"It's clear that you were in pain. If you're unwell, then you should head home." Her arms unfolded from her chest with a tired yet patient sigh, "Don't just stay out for my sake. I'll be fine."

As Zero Two said this, the guilt was quickly beginning to eat at her from the inside. She'd pushed Hiro to come out here to get some stupid ice cream with her. If Hiro wasn't physically up to it, why didn't he reject her from the get-go? Was she too pushy or was he much too patient with her?

The frustrating part was that both assumptions seemed likely.

"No, I'm fine. I swear, Zero Two. I can keep–"

It felt as if she was looking straight into a mirror. Unbeknownst to them, the pair had completely switched roles with one another.

"You don't have to pretend to be strong around me. Go home and rest up. If it were me, you'd tell me the same thing. Wouldn't you?"

That was enough to make any rebuttal Hiro had ready for her die shortly on his tongue. The boy's shoulders slumped as he fell unusually quiet, eyes gazing down at nothing in particular out of defeat. Hiro knew she was right, so he tried to think of it as if he were in her shoes.

He wouldn't want to worry her unnecessarily. If heading home would make Zero Two more relieved, then he'll swallow his disappointment to do it. However, he still felt the need to apologize to her.

"You're right. I guess I'll head home. Sorry for leaving you so soon, Zero Two."

Inside his head, Hiro was honestly cursing at his own internal issues for interfering with the only part of his day that was supposed to feel normal.

Zero Two shook her head and pushed her seat back, causing the legs of the chair to let out a loud scraping sound as it was dragged along the white porcelain floor.

"It's fine. I need to head home soon anyway. Yuki– I mean... My guardians don't want me staying out too late in case I have a relapse."

Mayuki, one of the elderly women who worked for Werner and thus also for her, was generally more austere compared to Sawako's soft and much looser personality.

Therefore, the fifty-one-year-old woman has only become stricter with her considering the latest misfortune that had occurred within the household much to Zero Two's displeasure.

However, the girl knew that Mayuki's wish to monitor her better all came with reason alongside a more personal one: The woman desperately wanted to fulfill the role of Werner Frank as a paternal figure.

Zero Two wasn't blind to that. She was also no longer blind to how troublesome she's been for the elders her entire upbringing and as of lately. So, the girl decided that she at least owed them some rest.

She won't run away from them for once.

Once Zero Two rose from the chair, she scooted her seat back underneath the table until the sides met with the edge. The boy across from her naturally followed suit albeit with less urgency to leave.

"Oh..." Hiro slowly nodded his head. "I see. That's good then. Um... What if I at least walk you home?"

She'd be lying if she said she didn't want him to, but Zero Two already had her ride home covered with her mansion's designated limo driver. She'd kill to have Hiro walk her home instead, but it appeared that wouldn't happen today.

"I already have a ride home," she reluctantly rejected him but tried not to sound too sad lest Hiro get the wrong idea from her tone.

She knew now that Hiro would take the blame for things quite easily.

"Don't worry about it," Zero Two included with an affable smile that would allow Hiro to trust her words. However, it didn't make his increasing disappointment recede.

"Oh."

He awkwardly nodded his head and held the strap to his dark blue backpack closer to his body.

"Oh, hey! How about I give you a ride home too? Shou won't mind!"

When this thought hit her, Zero Two thought it was a brilliant idea since it allowed her to see Hiro home safely and also spend her last moments for today with him. She believed this was an offer he wouldn't refuse only until... He did.

Hiro shook his head. "No, it's okay. My place isn't far from here. I'm accustomed to walking home anyway."

It wasn't that Hiro didn't _want_ to ride in a car that belonged to her in such close quarters. They might even be in the backseat together which would allow them to continue to chat in comfort regardless of the short ride.

He'd cherish every second of that moment if only his pride didn't get in the way. The reason he didn't immediately tell Zero Two yes? Hiro was too afraid of imposing on her. Her guardians wanted her home safely and swiftly.

Even if his place was right around the corner, it would be better if she headed straight home instead of taking a sudden detour.

Hiro reached the front double doors of the ice cream parlor and pressed his hand against the glass, pushing it open to allow Zero Two to walk out before him.

Only when she passed him did Zero Two allow her head to sag slightly and her eyes drop to the ground, a crestfallen expression instantly looming over her face.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The tail of her wool, vivid red scarf danced nimbly in the air as it was carried by a passing breeze that lasted only briefly. It happened to be one of those perfect days within Mistilteinn. The sun bore down on them brilliantly and kissed their uncovered skins, keeping them toasted on a comfortable level but the pavement beneath their feet hot.

The unchanging breeze made one's clothing flap in the wind with its cadence and tickled the tinged cheeks of small, giggly children from the nearby Jian Park which held different memories for the duo. With the temperature so perfectly harmonized, Hiro knew that they'd picked the right day to go out and get ice cream.

Although Hiro humorously thought to himself that may just as well be any day of the month for the girl. Zero Two's sweet tooth surpassed Ichigo's by a mile and Hiro honestly couldn't be too certain if that was something he should be proud of.

One of these days, she'll find a large problem on one of her teeth.

"I'll talk to you later then?" Hiro asked, as he looked up at her and pulled a small, chagrined smile onto his face.

The boy did his best to hide his innermost disappointment. He'd placed himself into this situation, so Hiro felt there was no reason for him to be upset over it now. The more Hiro pondered over this decision, the more convinced he was that this was the best one to make.

What would happen in the event that his head pain returned and even worse than before? He didn't want Zero Two to have to stick around to witness that awful episode. Especially since Hiro knew she would have questions which he didn't have the answers to yet.

Moreover, Zero Two already had enough on her plate as it was. Why pile his own personal problems on top of that? It seemed Hiro was already forgetting that the promise he made with Zero Two also applied to him.

When Zero Two silently nodded her head and returned his smile in such a half-hearted manner, it became apparent to Hiro then that he wasn't the only one hiding things here. His smile now fell.

"Zero Two? Is there something the matter?" Hiro questioned her, hoping to receive the truth in return and that it wasn't as bad as his mind was pushing him to believe.

Albeit for Hiro, possibly making Zero Two upset because of something he'd done was enough to be the end of the world for him.

Zero Two's eyes were previously fixated on the ground, so she had to lift them up in order to meet Hiro's eyes rather than the usual inverse. At first, she quietly stared into his expectant gaze for a few seconds. It was as if they entered a connection with each other which was so deep that they could communicate simply through their eyes.

And did their eyes say a lot to one another.

Her lips parted open, the tip of her tongue hitting the roof of her mouth in—what Hiro could assume was—preparation to say something to him. However, it only took three passing seconds for Zero Two's courage to falter entirely and decide against this at the last moment. Her mouth clamped shut and so did the open passage to her true emotions.

"I told you that I'm fine, remember? Hey, I'll text you when I get— Uuh!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Zero Two was unexpectedly and quite rudely interrupted when an inattentive stranger, who happened to be crossing the same sidewalk they stood on, harshly bumped shoulders with Zero Two.

The collision was so hard that the girl staggered forward a bit, forcing Hiro's hands to reflexively reach out and place themselves onto both her shoulders in an attempt to catch Zero Two before she fell into him. Fortunately, this worked well which made Hiro quietly thank his fast reflexes.

Zero Two was alright which relieved Hiro of his worries, but the annoyance he felt for the stranger who'd temporarily threatened Zero Two's safety fueled the anger that began to quickly boil deeply within him.

Hiro spun his head around to get a good look of the person's face but instead was only met with the back of the stranger who continued to stroll down the sidewalk. They acted as if nothing ever took place.

This infuriated Hiro. How could someone be so rude and not even apologize? Anyone would've felt that collision!

Hiro could accurately identify the stranger as a grown man judging by the adult's build and the obnoxiously loud conversation he was having into the cellular device held up to his right ear.

"Hey!" Without stopping to think, the word flew out of Hiro's mouth as if his response was automatic.

It just baffled Hiro that a casual phone conversation was so much more important to an adult that he couldn't take the time to pause, turn his head, and slip in at least a small apology towards Zero Two.

The man either didn't hear Hiro, or he didn't care enough to respond to him, because he continued to stroll further and further down the sidewalk. A small huff from beside him caught Hiro's attention much more quickly, allowing him to see that Zero Two had already straightened herself back up.

"Just forget it," she interjected before the situation could possibly escalate. Her voice was low and her tone sounded as equally irritated as his, only hers had more resign to it.

Quite as if she was accustomed to this sort of treatment? However, it was near impossible for Hiro to easily let this go. Zero Two was the last person on this planet that he wanted to voluntarily watch get pushed around by others.

"We shouldn't let him get away with that, Zero Two!" Hiro naturally protested.

"Hiro. _Forget_ it. Scums like him aren't worth your energy," The girl stressed her emotions about the situation better this time.

Upon hearing this, Hiro realized that he didn't want to do anything that would upset her such as acting rashly because he couldn't control his emotions. Therefore, this left the boy with no other choice but to also resign his anger for her sake.

Hiro released a slow and steady sigh which helped to calm his nerves back down.

"...Alright," he reluctantly said, but in a much more poised tone to prove that he wasn't about to go against his own word.

The stranger was out of sight by now, therefore, he was also out of mind. Even if he didn't like this and still believed that the adult should–

 _No, no. Respect Zero Two's wishes._

It was odd that he wanted to do anything about the situation in the first place. Normally, he would watch and sit on his hands about this because he felt too powerless to even try. However, there seemed to be something about Zero Two that pushed him to do things he would usually never consider before.

With the threat no longer weighing on his mind, Hiro began to immediately but slowly inspect Zero Two's face and body for any injuries. He was so worried about her that he didn't even stop to rationally consider the fact that Zero Two hadn't even come close to any harm since her body never collided with the ground.

What if her shoulder was bruised though? He should ask h–

"Do you like what you see?" A playful and taunting voice interrupted his train of thought, originating from the very person Hiro wasn't aware he was still clinging onto.

Her abrupt choice of words caught Hiro by surprise, yes, but what made a shiver tremble down his spine like a bolt of electricity was when his body registered the unusual _foxiness_ of the girl's tone.

"Huh?"

The only thing the confounded Hiro could do was utter this in a weak and hoarse voice which inevitably caused Zero Two to laugh at him internally. Could he hear her right now, he would definitely be embarrassed. However, he didn't need to in order for his cheeks to turn a faint red after all.

Just the sudden arousal she made Hiro feel was enough to make his body feel enlivened and for his face to burn as hot as an oven. It was a mistake meeting Zero Two's gaze because they had a sharp, come-hither look to it as if she knew _exactly_ what she was doing to him.

It poisoned his mind with thoughts that shouldn't exist in his head because she would definitely shame him for them could Zero Two peer into his mind. The way she stared at him almost made Hiro think that she genuinely could which made him more nervous.

"W-What are you talking about, Zero Two? I was just..."

He took a pause to put himself into her shoes. Yes, he had eyed her up and down, but only to make sure she wasn't hurt. What would it look like into Zero Two's eyes though? Plus his hands were still on her without her consent.

...His hands!

When the misinterpretation of the situation caught up to him, Hiro quickly retracted his hands from her shoulders in fear that he might've made her uncomfortable, or worse: presume him as the pervert Zero Two always wrote him off as.

"Sorry!" Hiro quickly spat, his arms coming to both his sides stiffly as he took a step back from her.

His head hung lowly to avoid her stare that would undoubtedly make his blood circulate at a certain region were he to look into it any longer. He was fully prepared for Zero Two to not accept his apology if she chose to either.

Except her anger wasn't what he had waiting for him today. She burst out into a fit of giggles which Hiro put his confusion aside for a second to admire its cuteness.

As she did this, Zero Two leaned over slightly and held onto her stomach, her giggles gradually transitioning into hard laughter. Watching the scene unfold before his eyes struck something within Hiro. Or rather, it was a sense of déjà vu that washed over Hiro. This was almost exactly like the time they first met on the rooftop.

At that time, he'd been too humiliated and concerned to think about how charming the girl's laughter was. How the surrounding wrinkles around her squinted eyes crinkled when her large grin became much too large for her face. Her laughter was as addicting as she was to his brain.

The largest difference from then and now was that Hiro didn't feel upset due to her laughter, but instead comforted. His guilt over the way he handled Zero Two started to recede. Zero Two was still alright.

Her laughter eventually came to a gradual end, but not without the sign of a few tears that had pricked the corner of her eyes. Zero Two raised a hand up to wipe them with her thumb one by one before she settled her gaze onto Hiro once again and in a much more composed form.

"You're still fun as ever to tease! Don't you ever change. Got it?"

After disorienting Hiro's thoughts with her quickly returning unabashed teasing, Zero Two slowly leaned down in front of him with her arm outstretched and fingers spread out in readiness to grasp something. A gaze lower allowed Hiro to figure out that she was in the motion of retrieving the red, knitted object that laid between their feet.

Hiro was surprised to find that Zero Two's scarf was being dirtied by the city's uncleaned pavement instead of still being snugly wrapped around her smooth-looking neck. The boy quickly concluded that it must've fallen from her neck when that jerk from earlier bumped into her.

He had to curl his fingers and hold back the frustration that attempted to resurface at the single thought of that person. He couldn't do anything for her then, but there was _one_ thing he could still do.

"Allow me!"

Hiro's instincts kicked in faster than the other's ability to retrieve her accessory faster than he did. The mistreated scarf was no longer on the walked over and littered ground, but rather in the safety of Hiro's careful hands.

He knew how much Zero Two placed her heart into this possession of hers, so Hiro made sure to handle it like he was carrying another person's life in his own two hands before he held it out to her.

"Oh. Thanks, I guess..." Zero Two said in an taken aback tone.

She was also slow to accept her scarf from Hiro since it took her a second to merely register the fact that he just did another selfless deed for her. ...Hiro did selfless deeds for her all the time to be exact and without her ever asking anything out of him.

Yet it still surprised her every time and made her stomach feel weird in a light and fluttery sense? Not nauseous like her illness made her. Zero Two remembered asking Kyou about it and she still remembered the damn woman's answer.

She shook those thoughts away lest they consume her mind at such an unwanted time. Zero Two finally reached out for her scarf, but just as her fingers slowly approached the fabric, Hiro pulled his arm away from her reach.

"Oh! Hold on one second, Zero Two."

Upon noticing that were a couple of tiny specks of dirt that attached itself to the wool of the scarf, Hiro pulled the scarf back and did the only thing that came to mind to resolve this issue. He started to gently brush away the dirt with his opposite hand, hoping that it became clean enough for Zero Two to wear around her neck again.

Meanwhile, Zero Two watched in complete awe as this scene carried out in front of her. Hiro was a much kinder person than she was. That was something she's learned about him from day one, but moments like these in which he exemplified that fact made her chest feel warm.

He most likely did these things for everyone he came across, but the fact that _she_ was one of them at all was enough to make her pathetically fell somewhat special.

Five swipes of the hand were all it took for her scarf to be deemed presentable again. Feeling satisfied with his quickly improvised but successful work, Hiro then held the scarf out by near both its ends.

"There. It's all clean. I'll give this back to you then," he announced to her.

Expecting Hiro to really return it to her this time, she held out both her palms to accept it. Only the accessory never made it to her hands. No, Hiro wasn't handing the scarf back to its proper owner, but instead, he was _putting_ it on for her. Feeling Hiro's arms hover around her neck, as his hands began to skillfully loop the warm fabric around her neck honestly took her off-guard.

Zero Two completely froze in place since she didn't know what else to do in a situation like this. Given the fact that she had a few inches over him, Hiro had to close in most of the space that previously existed between them seconds ago in order to wrap the scarf around her neck. Hiro did this diligently and without any mistakes since he could recall how Zero Two always wore the scarf.

His fingers would brush against the skin on her neck ever so often which honestly caused a rosy color to prick her cheeks and annoyingly contrast against her pure white skin. Every time his knuckles would brush against her skin and send little sparks tip-toeing along her body as a result, Zero Two could feel herself literally cease breathing.

She couldn't help, but quietly admire the concentrated look on Hiro's face all while Zero Two let the thought that he was focusing so hard for her sake sink into her head. Unlike most others, she was very indiscreet about her staring which served to make Hiro feel nervous. Zero Two couldn't feel it, but his hands were getting a bit clammy due to his nervousness which came from several factors.

Meanwhile, all Zero Two wanted to do was hide her ugly face into the scarf that Hiro was still wrapping for her. The girl couldn't even suppress the sheepish smile that warmed up on her face. The time that passed felt like a nerve-wracking eternity when it was really only a couple of seconds in actuality. The scarf was done and in the same easy style Zero Two always wore it in with a half-knot.

Hiro took a step back to judge his handiwork, but also to have his ability to breathe returned which he was immediately thankful for. It didn't look very bad and that conveniently due to the fact that Hiro always wore scarves every winter.

"There. Now you're all–"

Just then, Hiro's eyes suddenly enlarged wider than Zero Two has ever seen them do so before. Out of nowhere, his brain decided to recall an unfamiliar image that gave me an odd sense of nostalgia. This image flashed through his head for only a short second, but the image left an unforgettable imprint in his brain.

 _Hasn't he... Hasn't he done something like this before?_

He'd seen a young girl nearly being swallowed by the brightness of a white backdrop. She smiled at Hiro with a toothy grin that strangely had a securing warmth to it. Her hair was long and flowed down her back until it halted right at the lower section. The girl's hair appeared either white or a light pink, underneath the fluorescence of the vibrant backdrop.

His vision was getting hazy. Lowering her gaze, he could see something wrapped around her neck. It was a scarf which was a vivid red color, but it was a lot shorter than the one he just finished wrapping around Zero Two. Its size seemed more fitted for a child than someone who was older.

Then, what followed behind this sudden recurrence would be the continuation of Hiro's torment. A sharp pain coupled with a massive pounding sensation hit Hiro from both sides of his brain. It was so intense that his hands immediately shot up to clutch his head, forcing Hiro's body to take an unsteady step backward.

 _This again?!_

"Urgh!" Hiro groaned in immense pain with his lids tightly squeezed shut, unable to cover up the volume of his discomfort to Zero Two this time.

"Hiro?!"

He hadn't even registered Zero Two calling out his name until the very last second. He's never heard Zero Two yell in such panic and fright before, but Hiro knew right at that moment that he never wanted to hear that emotion present in her tone again. He was scaring Zero Two and didn't know how else to deal with that, but flee. Unfortunately, the unplanned episode seized Hiro's body and made it difficult for him to act on this decision.

 _Uugh..._

This feeling was comparable to someone pounding into his skull with a large hammer. He needed to leave quickly.

"Z-Zero Two, I... I need to go."

While still clutching both sides of his head, Hiro staggered backward and slowly began to turn away from the other. At the same time, slender and familiarly warm fingers reached out and wrapped themselves around one of his wrists.

Due to Hiro's weakened state, his reaction time was too slow to resist the girl's natural upper-arm strength. He hadn't even fully turned his body around before Zero Two was able to pull him back into her; the gentle force against his wrist causing him to retract a hand from one of the pulsating sides of his head.

Now that he was fully turned to her again, Hiro could immediately feel her eyes scrutinizing him for any signs of visible injuries. She'll learn soon that she wouldn't find anything, but Hiro preferred it if she didn't try to find out at all. He turned his head to the side as an attempt to hide the severity of his pained expression from her.

When Hiro tried to focus his eyes on something else than Zero Two who was in front of him, he noticed the delay in which his vision should've made his surroundings clearer for him. It wasn't until he blinked a few times did his vision start to focus again, but not without a few white dots floating within his peripheral.

The boy's muscles tensed out of fear for what he knew was about to happen again.

"Zero–"

"Don't tell me you're okay when you're not!"

Zero Two yelled at back at him in a tone and volume that stunned him into speechlessness, causing Hiro's eyes to widen. However, it also had the unfortunate counteract of increasing the poundings he felt against his skull.

"Nn..."

Hands slid against each side of his face whom Hiro already knew belonged to and cupped his cheeks. He truthfully had to resist his body's automatic response which was to lean into her touch. Hiro didn't fight against Zero Two's intentions when she used her hands to slowly turn his head back towards her.

He couldn't fight against her even if he tried. More dots floated in his vision. Perhaps it was a good thing that Hiro's eyesight was betraying him, or else he would've felt his heart twist in his chest from the frantic expression clear in Zero Two's eyes.

"Do you honestly think I can let you go in this state? I don't care what you say. I'm taking you home with me."

With some miraculous timing, it was then the sharp screech of car tires coming into park become within close earshot of the pair. A black and luxurious stretch limousine had come to a stop beside the duo from just a couple centimeters away.

Hiro didn't have a clear enough conscience to contemplate whether it was Zero Two's ride, or not.

"Sa..."

His voice drifted off as his mind became fuzzier and his left leg lost its balance, causing him to fall into Zero Two's arms which were quick enough to catch him before his weight brought both of them down.

Zero Two's panic spiked now that she was holding the unresponsive form of her best friend in her arms. He was light against her with his chin resting against her shoulder, her own arms wrapped around him in a loose embrace.

"Hiro!"

"Is everything okay?!"

The car door to the driver's seat of the limousine opened and out came rushing towards them in alarm was the designated driver, Shou. He stopped right beside them, eyes darting between her and Hiro as the man tried to grasp the situation before him.

"Help me get him inside!" Zero Two ordered in an asserted tone, somehow remaining levelheaded despite the frenzy her mind was spiraling into.

Shou naturally listened to her and brought his hands underneath Hiro's arms, carefully pulling him off her first. His hand then came to the small of his back while the other came beneath Hiro's knees. Soon, the much larger man was fully carrying the younger boy in his arms.

Slowly, he placed Hiro into the back of the limousine with Zero Two right behind Shou the entire time. She knew in her heart that Shou would handle him finely, but Zero Two still worried about these small things nonetheless. The girl felt a little bit more at ease once she entered the backseat with Hiro, sitting beside him as the sleeping boy lounged out on the same row she was seated on.

Zero Two cautiously picked Hiro's head up and placed it onto her lap, so he could use her thighs as a softer substitute for a pillow. Shou courteously closed Zero Two's car door for her in a respectful manner once he could confirm she was well settled.

The man then returned to his driver's seat before he turned the engine back on and placed the vehicle into drive. A second later, the limousine was smoothly put forth into motion.

"Where to?" Shou asked from upfront, but the speaker installed into the back of the elongated vehicle allowed Zero Two to hear him without any issue.

"Take us home."

Zero Two didn't know where he lived, so she couldn't return him to the proper place. She'd be lying if she said that was the only cause however. Even in the event that Zero Two knew of his address, she'd still prefer Hiro to come back with her. It would calm down the bundle of nerves inside of Zero Two if she could confirm that Hiro was really okay with her own eyes.

As she lowered her head slightly and let her emerald eyes look over the sleeping boy's face worriedly, her long hair draped around Hiro's head like a partially closed curtain. It was amazing that if they were in this position under any other circumstance but this one, she'd be completely happy right now.

Zero Two loved it when they were more physical with each other, but she often wished that Hiro would initiate it for the same reasons as she did. There was no happiness this time though; no flutter of the heart, or a rise in anxiety that she couldn't decide if she wholeheartedly hated or not.

No... Zero Two was certain she hated _this_ kind of anxiety. It didn't have the same spell on her as the other form did. The other form didn't make her frown so deeply and feel like her heart was being trampled over.

A low groan from below her snapped Zero Two out of her thoughts instantly. Hiro's eyes were still closed, but his head stirred in her lap until he turned it to the side which made Zero Two's eyes widen in surprise.

After that, all motion from Hiro came to a stop except the rise and falls of his chest. It was a small movement, but it meant a lot to her since it indicated that Hiro was still conscious after all.

"Hiro?!" she called out in hope that he'll respond to her.

Unfortunately, for both of them, Hiro was just barely conscious at this point. His brain told him to rest and forget all the information it was overloading him with. Hiro was too overwhelmed to not listen to his brain's order.

"Thank you..." Hiro managed to slip out to her in a mummer with the last string of consciousness he held onto.

Once the two words were out in the open, Hiro's body receded him from the situation that was mentally too stressful for him to handle at once. As he quietly slipped into his deep slumber, his choice of words left themselves stirring around inside of Zero Two's head.

 _...Thank you?_

It felt odd to her that Hiro wanted to tell her _that_ before losing consciousness, but... If anyone was stranger than her then it was him. A sigh fell from her slightly parted pink lips, the corners of her mouth slowly lifting into a smile that balanced between the emotions of sadness and hope.

"Mm..." Zero Two's hand came to the top of Hiro's head and smoothed downwards, feeling the softness of his shaggy hair against the palm of her hand.

Her slender and delicate fingers then wove themselves between the dark locks of Hiro's hair, before they soon started to massage the areas she recalled him clutching in pain earlier.

While Zero Two was hoping this would alleviate his pain a little, the girl didn't even realize the affection she was demonstrating with him ran deeper than she could ever imagine.

"You're welcome, Hiro..." she whispered softly to him whether or not the boy was still awake to listen.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **March 2, 2028**

 **8:12 PM**

For the past four hours, Hiro has been tucked underneath the warmth of her thick, light pink sheets. For this entire time, he's been soundless with the exception of his slow breathing and has been as motionless as a brick. However, despite his lack of consciousness, Hiro couldn't look any more serene.

He looked much more at peace as he laid quietly on her bed, his facial muscles hardly moving an inch aside his brows that would slightly ridge together every so often. She preferred Hiro like this compared to the tormented look he had on his face hours before.

The heart-racing scene was still fresh in her memory. Hiro suddenly groaning in pain before he held his head; looking vulnerable for the first time he ever has around her. Then, completely collapsing into her open arms which succeeded in giving Zero Two a near heart attack.

A hefty sigh escaped her lips that were curved into a concerned frown.

Shou had carried Hiro inside her manor and upstairs to her bedroom in her stead when they first arrived. From that point on, Zero Two has yet to leave her bedroom much to the disfavor of her equally concerned guardians.

Right now, Zero Two was situated at the side of the bed she had Shou carefully lay him down on. Her bed was already an adequate size to hold two bodies and still have plenty of room leftover, but Zero Two preferred to sit upright.

If she were to lie down and get comfortable now, the girl knew her lingering weariness would overcome her fight to stay awake. Zero Two needed a nap just as much as Hiro did, but a useless caretaker wasn't what the boy needed at this time either.

Well, whenever Hiro would wake up. It's been enough hours already, so why wasn't he awake yet? Zero Two still believed it was best for him to rest, but the anxiety that ate at her insides while she waited for Hiro's recovery was a slow torture. An anxiety that stemmed from her paranoia that he _won't_ wake up.

In a failed attempt to distract herself from those kinds of thoughts, outside of bathroom breaks, she decided to surf the web for clues behind Hiro's sudden ailments today. While there were tame ones, there were also ominous ones which Zero Two didn't want to immediately jump the gun to believe. It was better to wait for Hiro's explanation rather than form bold assumptions with the internet's opinion as her resource.

Letting these things get to her head wouldn't help with her prying paranoia either, but Zero Two was afraid that it was already working. Feeling defeated, she allowed the device to slip from her antsy fingers as she tossed her phone to the side. It landed softly just a couple of inches away from her.

Her eyes then fell to her lap pensively, wondering what she could actually do for Hiro that would be helpful? So far, she only could offer him a bed to rest in, but Zero Two hadn't thought ahead of what she would do for Hiro once he woke up.

Her old man had been the doctor; not she.

Just then a small groan made her ears perk up in awareness. Zero Two averted her attention quicker than she's ever done so before, only to see Hiro's facial features scrunched up in the shape of a grimace. At first, she believed that Hiro was finally waking up, but the fact that his eyelids never fluttered open told Zero Two that the boy was still sound asleep. However, this time it appeared as if he was in the middle of a bad dream?

His groans increased in volume which spiked Zero Two's worriment over him and his shoulders and legs started to stir, but Hiro didn't flip over from his back. This happened for a second before his body returned to its state of inaction.

 _Should she shake him awake?_

Zero Two was tempted to, but she was also afraid of interfering with his progression towards recuperation. It's okay. Almost everyone does active things in their sleep. Hiro would be fine. ...Right?

Zero Two chewed on her bottom lip as she watched as Hiro's expression contorted in pain. She wanted to reach out to him, but she was unsure how to when his consciousness was not as close to her as his body was at this moment. Her fingers reached out with caution, approaching Hiro's nearest hand that laid idly at the side of his body. Just as her palm was about to envelope his hand in her warmth, a soft knock from the other side of her bedroom door made her freeze.

Specifically, Zero Two was startled by the sudden external factor, having not even heard the approaching footsteps. The girl knew that could be only one of three people.

"I've brought food for Young Mistress and her friend," the voice behind the door said politely.

At the sound of Sawako's gentle voice, Zero Two's tense shoulders slowly relaxed again while she released a soft breath. It wasn't like her to get scared by little things. God, she was completely out of focus today. Only at the mention of food had Zero Two realized that she hasn't had a single meal since this morning. Albeit ice cream could hardly be considered a meal to most people. However, she didn't have an appetite at this very moment.

Sawako always did things for her without her asking anything out of her. After Werner, she's always been the most patient and caring of her. Zero Two still didn't know how to possibly repay the woman for her constant kindness. The girl was hesitant to leave Hiro's side, but talking across the room would easily stir Hiro out of his slumber as well. She didn't want to simply ignore Sawako either.

Choosing the best option for now, Zero Two stood up from her bed as quietly as she could and approached the bedroom door. Her fingers wrapped around the golden knob of the door and pulled it open to see the older woman standing before her, a large food tray in the grasp of her wrinkly hands.

On the tray, were two bowls of beef stew that still had hot steam arising from it and two glasses of crisp ice water. The beef stew happened to be her second favorite meal. Normally, she'd ask for some soda or anything else that had large amounts of carbonated sugar. However, with her recent visit to the hospital, everyone has been careful in making sure she received more nutrients than fat.

Dull brown strands from Sawako's thin bangs stuck to the small beads of sweat against her forehead, indicating how diligently she must've worked just to serve them this. Zero Two couldn't refuse her. She reached out and carefully took the handles of the tray from Sawako who passed it on to her.

"You don't have to be so formal with me just because I have someone over. His name is Hiro, by the way."

Zero Two didn't thank her for the meal. She didn't have to because everyone in the mansion knew Zero Two was always thankful despite her inability to express her gratitude most of the time. Feelings are too complicated of a thing for someone like herself.

"Oh, I apologize. It's hard not to be respectful in front of others. You are Master's beloved granddaughter after all," Sawako replied to her with an affectionate smile on her face, bringing her hands together idly.

Zero Two's body tensed up at the mention of Werner, fingers gripping at the handles of the food tray tighter. Her eyes fell down to the bowl of stew, but Sawako didn't fail to notice the hurt that was reflected into them. Realizing the clumsy mistake she made, the woman hurried to move the conversation along.

"How is Young Hiro's state?"

Zero Two bit down on her bottom lip and shook her head silently. That was enough for the woman to understand what Zero Two was trying to say.

"I see..."

Sawako's hopeful smile faltered slightly and her weary chestnut eyes also lowered themselves in defeat. However, a sudden change in emotion overcame the woman that made her features perk up in a spry way despite hearing about Hiro's lack of improvement.

"He'll wake up soon. Hiro is certain to feel better after a good meal. For young people like you and him, it's very easy to bounce back into good shape unlike us old geezers," Sawako let out a heartfelt chuckle.

Sawako reached out and placed her hand over one of Zero Two's lovingly, temporarily sending her body warmth over to the young girl's. Zero Two already understood the message the other was trying to convey just from this.

"Please don't fret too much, dear."

Even though Sawako was trying her best to comfort Zero Two, neither her words or physical contact did anything to lessen the weight on her heart. Considering Zero Two's experience with the downsides of poor health, it was natural for the girl's mind to assume the worst on the spot. Even if it was nothing major in the end either, Zero Two did not like Hiro in such a weakened state to the point of collapsing.

Between both of them, she should be the only one to carry that curse.

"Mhm..." Zero Two replied dryly with a slow nod, eyes still not gazing up to meet the tender, but concerned chestnut ones that stared back at her.

Sawako could read the other's body language impeccably enough to tell that Zero Two wasn't comfortable with their current conversation and her intentions hadn't succeeded past getting the girl to accept the meal. Well, that was the most important thing here to the fifty-three-year-old woman.

Sawako trusted Zero Two to continue to handle the rest on her own. After all, she was becoming more of an adult in her eyes every day.

"I'll be on my way then. Excuse me."

With another warm smile that stretched out the thin wrinkles around the corners of her lips, she parted from the youngest within the manor with a respectful half-bow. Then, Sawako slowly closed the door in place of Zero Two's occupied hands until she felt it gently lock in place.

If the woman was being hopeful, then the warmth she continuously tried to show the other would eventually reach Zero Two's heart. She'd accept that would allow the young girl to know that she wasn't as alone as she always felt.

That was what Sawako wanted for her.

After listening to the sound from her low-heel flats become fainter down the hall, Zero Two carefully turned around and walked over to the bed. From there, she placed the food tray down on the large nightstand that was right beside Hiro's side of the bed. The tall glasses rattled slightly from the movement.

Maybe the aroma arising from the stew would awaken Hiro's hunger and stir him out of his slumber. Zero Two still did not have an appetite despite the pleasant smell that greeted her nostrils, so she chose to cast Sawako's meal to the side for now. Her eyes gazed back over at Hiro, eager to check up on his state since she last left him.

She noticed that he stopped groaning, so Zero Two was hoping that whatever was tormenting him in his sleep was over with. However, what she noticed instead fueled her fears of Hiro's state possibly worsening. A small sheen of sweat had broken out from Hiro's body and clung to his forehead and neck. The perspiration was noticeable to her tired eyes, as it glistened against the illumination of her nearby desk lamp.

Wanting to test something out, Zero Two experimentally reached out and pressed the back of her hand against his forehead despite the slight sweat droplets. The unusual hotness that she was met with made her hold her breath.

 _A fever?_

Even if she was not a doctor, Zero Two believed she knew what his abnormal body temperature indicated. Without a second thought, she stood up from the bed and scurried into the large space that was her bathroom which happened to be connected to her bedroom. Once inside, she took a small face towel from the second shelf of her towel rack and then, proceeded to turn the faucet on to its coldest setting.

As the frigid water gushed from the head of the sink, Zero Two placed the towel underneath the downpour and allowed it to get as damp as possible for a few seconds. Once her wet fingers could confirm that the towel felt thoroughly drenched, it was then rung out. Seconds later, the assiduous girl quickly emerged from the bathroom and returned to Hiro's side.

The sweat hadn't subsided yet which Zero Two expected, but now Hiro's facial features were crinkled with his eyebrows wincing in his sleep as if the boy was in pain. There were no sounds leaving his mouth this time; only his visibly silent anguish.

 _Hopefully, this will help..._

She curled the towel up around her fingers and started to lightly dab at his forehead, wiping away the sweat that had accumulated there. The worried girl then moved down to Hiro's neck and switched up her technique, lightly rubbing at the area instead. Inside her heart, Zero Two hoped that the coldness of the towel would quickly cool Hiro down.

Once she was done cleaning the area, Zero Two's eyes scanned his body for any more visible spots she could've possibly missed. However, she didn't see any on the surface. Just as she was about to move on, a thought hit her.

 _Under his shirt maybe?_

Since he was breaking out into a sweat, then it was absolutely underneath his clothes too. Zero Two's hand unabashedly moved to the three buttons of Hiro's collar, undoing the first and then soon the next two. Her brain had one goal in mind and that was cleaning up the boy's sweat so that it didn't gather up. However, as soon as Zero Two's determined emeralds lowered themselves, they became _stuck_ at the bare collarbone area his undone shirt exposed to her.

A nervousness that should've stayed right at the pit of her stomach flew straight up to her heart instead. This didn't feel right, but it was an emotion Zero Two unfortunately recognized. She knew _why_ she was feeling this way too, but that didn't mean the girl liked it. Hiro was attractive on his own, but just this little peek of what he was always hiding from her eyes underneath the uniform they dressed in almost every day stirred _that_ again.

 _No, stop! Now isn't the time for those sorts of thoughts._

Zero Two bit down hard on her bottom lip and attempted to ignore the rapid pounding that was happening inside her chest. Her hand shakily reached out and started to dab at his collarbone area, still hoping that the cloth could soak up the sweat that was there and also cool him down.

Even if her eyes _were_ staring at the area in a way they shouldn't; even as her tongue swiped along her bottom lip that wasn't even dry.

Zero Two took her time moving on from the area, but her head still had the main task in mind since she didn't intend to do anything more than care for Hiro. So, once she was finished wiping him down, the girl folded the wet towel on her lap twice and then, gently laid it down against Hiro's no longer sweaty forehead.

The back of her hand then pressed up against the side of his neck. Hiro was only slightly cooled down now, but otherwise hot to the touch. Knowing that her attempt to help him had been futile was enough to dampen Zero Two's already sour mood.

 _Why is he getting a fever now? Did he catch something at the hospital?_

God, as with everything, this was her fault after all.

Zero Two would've diligently slipped the buttons of his shirt back into their respective holes, but she wanted Hiro to cool down and that would only happen by allowing the air to hit him. For now, she could admit that she was at the end of her rope.

She felt useless. What more could she do than wait for him to awaken? Zero Two moved onto her knees and hands, crawling over to the unoccupied side of the bed. She didn't slip underneath the sheets with Hiro since she didn't intend to fall asleep; merely rest her eyes for a bit and think.

However, it would be up to the girl's body to decide whether or not that happened. Zero Two rested her head on the comfort of her soft, satin pillow and continued to watch Hiro's face in hopes of catching any signs of him regaining consciousness.

She had to stifle a yawn that came up her throat. She was... admittedly a little exhausted.

"Darling..." Zero Two whispered softly, only able to say that word aloud because she was under the impression that Hiro couldn't hear her at this time.

Were he awake, she would've definitely bitten her tongue to make sure the endearing pet name didn't slip out and confuse Hiro. This was something Zero Two only referred to him as in the privacy of her head.

At least this was the one moment in which she didn't have to feel nervous, or sad about letting the word slip out around him. Her hand sought the warmth Hiro's own hand has provided her with in the past. With their palms pressed together, her fingers found comfort in the spaces between Hiro's own. Even though he couldn't return her physical affection, simply feeling his touch at all was enough to suffice.

 _If Hiro was awake, would he squeeze her hand back? ...Would he want her to hold his hand at all?_

"You have to wake up soon. You made a promise to me, remember?" Zero Two continued to whisper.

She was aware that Hiro couldn't hear or answer her, but somewhere deep down inside, Zero Two genuinely hoped the gentle reminder would reach him and it would be enough to bring him back to her. The girl wanted to be selfish for a tad longer, so she continued to hold onto Hiro's hand without any feeling of regret or shame.

What she didn't realize was that she wouldn't ever receive the chance to pull away from him since at that moment, her eyelids grew heavier. Zero Two did try to fight against her own tiredness, but like her entire life, she was hopeless against her own body's willpower. Eventually, her lids closed for a few minutes too long, leading her to unintentionally join Hiro in his deep slumber.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _Poundingpoundingpounding. That was all Hiro felt. His head... It throbbed violently and felt like it could explode at any moment. It was as if something wanted to break free from its prison of agony and–_

 _Nnnn._

 _The throbbing and sharp, knife-like pattern persisted, but Hiro was a helpless victim to the attacks his own body was randomly assaulting him with. While the pain wrapped itself around every side of his skull, his mind was currently fighting a different battle than his body was._

 _Or rather, find the missing pieces to a puzzle that he wasn't quite sure how large it was._

 _He was chasing the pink-haired child again in the form on his own ten-year-old body. He's been endlessly chasing her throughout these long, identical halls which genuinely felt like a maze to Hiro. The halls seemed to keep multiplying no matter how many turns the boy made once he reached the corner of every one._

 _While Hiro's mind should've reasonably asked if this would ever end, but instead it told him to push himself as hard as he could and run even faster. So, that he could reach where she was. In this dreamworld, his feet always felt a step behind his heart's wishes since they didn't get him where Hiro wanted to be at a quick enough rate._

 _However, things were different this time around._

 _His pace was faster and the once vast distance between him and the girl much shorter this time. Every time Hiro closed his eyes at bedtime and entered the debilitating loop, he always felt a few inches closer to her than the night before._

 _This time the difference was drastic. The girl was merely a few feet away from his reach instead of them being at opposite ends of the hall. If Hiro just pushed his body's capacity a little harder and outstretched his arm, he was certain he could actually touch her. Right now he was closer to his answers than ever before._

 _"Wait!" Hiro yelled as loud as his lungs allowed him to._

 _He didn't feel tired for someone who's been running around in circles, but the fact that this was a dream allowed Hiro to temporarily turn a blind eye to logic._

 _Her bare feet continued to scurry along the floor, making soft but rapid noises. At the same time, she was trying to pick up her pace and lose sight of him, but surprisingly, Hiro was able to close the distance between them just as soon as she placed it._

 _In the past, she would've said something to him by now. Yet this time the girl was unusually quiet. Could it be possible that she was... Afraid of him?_

 _"Wait, I just want to talk to you!"_

 _Just then, the little girl made a turn to the left, but it wasn't because she reached the corner of another hall. No, this time she changed the course entirely by fleeing into one of the many rooms they always passed up during their long game of chase._

 _It was a random patient room, or at least it was to Hiro since he did not take the time to read the illegible sign beside the door. Finding out about this person who's haunted his mind day in and day out was his priority._

 _He followed behind her and ran inside the opened door, the soles of his shoes squeaking against the floor as his footsteps came to an abrupt halt. The young boy's eyes then proceeded to scan the dark room, but much to his discontent, the girl couldn't be found._

 _She was... gone?_

 _He then heard a small and meek whimper from the corner of the room that caught his attention immediately, his head spinning to the origin of the sound. At first glance, all Hiro's eyes saw was another part of the room that was engulfed in a pitch-black shadow. However, letting his eyes linger over the spot a little longer allowed him to realize that he'd accidentally looked over the balled up form in total seclusion._

 _'I finally found you.'_

 _Her back was turned to him, indicating that she either didn't want to be seen by him or speak with him. Her arms were also wrapped around herself in a tight embrace. While these hints would've made someone else turn the other way, this encouraged Hiro to solve this dilemma once and for all even more._

 _He needed to know what she was so afraid of all of a sudden and why she was haunting him._

 _"Hey..." Hiro spoke in a soft tone out of fear that he'll frighten her, footsteps also approaching her cautiously. "I just want to talk to you. Um... Are you someone I know?"_

 _No answer._

 _Her head peeked around to him, but only enough for him to see her nose and the part of her cheek that wasn't confined behind her long, pink hair. Therefore, it was still difficult to make out a very clear picture of her face._

 _"...Can I get your name?" he tried again, hoping this question would be answered since it was easier. However, Hiro had a large doubt about it sinking into his stomach._

 _He was right to trust his instinct because what greeted Hiro was more silence. There weren't even soft whimpers filling the room anymore just uneasy silence._

 _"Can't you say anything at all to me?"_

 _His last attempt would be the one that would haunt him for a while. A minute after he asked this, the girl suddenly rose from her corner and turned around to face him. Although her head was lowered, so her long bangs concealed the most important detail about her appearance. She took some small steps towards him and even though Hiro's mind yelled at him to get back, his feet remained rooted to the ground in resolve._

 _There was no running now! Not when he was so close to the truth!_

 _"D..." The girl finally uttered something, but it was hard for Hiro to make out what she was trying to tell him._

 _"Huh? Sorry. Can you repeat that?"_

 _"D... a..."_

 _Her voice was soft and broken as she spoke. Her arm reached out and soon the girl's hand latched onto his. Although this made Hiro's muscles freeze up for a moment, he didn't pull away from her grasp._

 _She was... warm. It felt comforting and nostalgic even. Almost as if her hand fit there wrapped around his. Hiro was figuratively leaning in at this point, holding his breath for the moment she would finish the word, or sentence she was struggling to construct._

 _"Da... Darling!"_

 _Her head shot up, allowing him the opportunity to see her face in clear view without any such bangs in the way. However, a bright light suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It engulfed them entirely and intensified itself around the two of them, unfortunately shielding the girl's face from him. This made it impossible for Hiro to see anything even if he tried to look over at her through his heavily squinted eyes._

 _'Da–...?'_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

As Hiro was jolted awake, his eyes shot open while sharply expelling air into his lungs. Even though he had completely regained his consciousness now, Hiro's heart was still drumming heavily in his chest due to how realistic the dream had been for him. As he panted harshly, it took Hiro's hazy mind a couple of languid seconds to realize he was no longer trapped within the dream sequence. However, the unfamiliarity of his surroundings didn't fill Hiro with immediate comfort either.

 _Wha...?_

He continued to glance around the room, noting that the former darkness that encompassed him and the girl was now replaced with a dim light source. As he continued to drowsily take in the biggest details of the room, Hiro was able to quickly come to the conclusion that this indeed wasn't his room at all. Or anyone's he knew for that matter.

His stomach tightened in fear.

 _Whose room is this then?_

He felt a lukewarm compression against his forehead, but Hiro didn't care to figure out why. Even though his senses were still groggy and his heavy lids told him to return to sleep, the boy needed to confirm his whereabouts as best as he could.

That was then when he felt movement around his right hand. Something or... someone was squeezing it? Hiro took a look to the side and the first thing his clouded vision noticed through the slits of his eyes was the blur of pink hair belonging to the body beside him. Hiro's heart skipped a beat.

 _The girl? She's still here with him?_

However, another blink would allow his vision to slowly come into focus and reveal to him that this was not the mysterious girl from his dream. Instead… It was Zero Two? She was serenely asleep right next to him, fingers intertwined with his own. Of course, Hiro was so surprised by this discovery that his heart started to race and he could feel his blood quickly pooling at his warm, tinged cheeks.

But much to the boy's misfortune, a sharp pain would return to assault his entire head and prevent him from freaking out as he normally would've. Hiro let out a long and audible groan, lids squeezed shut as he held onto the side of his skull which hurt the worst at that moment.

 _Fuuuck, that's right._

Hiro was beginning to recall almost everything now. A headache had struck him out of nowhere during his time with Zero Two, but he couldn't remember what happened after they exited the shop together.

Nn...

If Zero Two was here, then Hiro concluded that this must be her place. The knot in his stomach loosened itself as did his fear upon recognizing that he was safe with Zero Two. Yet the fact that Hiro couldn't recall how he ended up here at all still disturbed him.

The light was a bit too much against the sensitivity of his eyes right now. So, Hiro decided to close them and hope that shutting out a known contributor to his outrageous headache would help lessen the pain. Unfortunately, he only felt a marginal sense of relief.

Hiro let out a frustrated sigh and brought his only free hand to his forehead. That was then when Hiro finally registered the wet, but no longer cold, towel laying against his forehead.

 _Huh? A towel?_

His fingers felt around the fabric some more to confirm that it indeed was a towel.

 _Zero Two must've placed this there._

Hiro didn't know why. The only person who had the answer to his several questions was asleep, but he didn't plan on disturbing Zero Two for something that could clearly wait. However, it seemed that he wouldn't be in much control over how much sleep she received.

Only a minute later did the girl's lids start to slowly flutter open; a definite sign that Zero Two was already rousing from her slumber. The first thing her sleepy emerald eyes did was focus on Hiro's face, but there was a small delay in her reaction since Zero Two's foggy mind was still trying to reach full cognizance.

However, once her brain registered what was different about the sight before her,  
the girl suddenly sprung up into complete awareness and a soft, surprised gasp left her parted lips. The firm grip around his hand also loosened, her fingers drifting away from it entirely much to Hiro's hidden dislike.

"You're up!" she exclaimed with so much relief visible in her tone, her disheveled hair known as 'bed-hair' helping Zero Two appear cuter rather than bad in his eyes.

Because of that, Hiro managed to crack a small smile at her through his own inner turmoil.

However, the sound of her relief made Hiro feel guilty about the length he must've made her wait in order for her to be this happy to see him up. The boy felt a heaviness weigh down on his chest and it wasn't a symptom from his headache.

 _God, I must be burdening her and her family terribly._

"Yeah, I..."

He started to sit up with her, so he could speak to Zero Two properly. The towel fell from his forehead and landed on his lap as a result, but that was fine with him. However, his attempt to change positions was unsuccessful with the pain that suddenly moved to the front of his skull.

"Nn..."

His lids squeezed closed and he stopped his body right in motion, hoping that if he was still for a moment then the intensity of the pain would decrease. He felt two hands come to his shoulders and start to gently push his backward.

Hiro's lids reopened to see that Zero Two was carefully easing him back down onto the mattress with a deep frown that Hiro thought didn't belong on her face. The fact that he internally agreed with Zero Two's decision to lay back down was the only reason he didn't protest. After all, it might be easier on his body.

"You're still in pain," the girl then spoke, hands only leaving his shoulders once the back of his head softly met the pillow. She then went to retrieve the towel that fell to his lap, before laying it back down on his forehead.

Meanwhile, Hiro was trying to work up the will to look past the confusion Zero Two seeming to nurse him made the boy feel and to simply ask her the questions he wanted to. He was unaware of the thoughts that were running in her mind at this time.

"Zero–"

Just as he started to speak, her name rapidly fell short on Hiro's tongue when he felt the cold back of her hand press against the side of his neck which was warm to Zero Two in comparison.

"...–Two?"

"Shh..." Zero Two shushed him instead of providing an answer to his unspoken question and for some reason, he complied by shutting up immediately while also swallowing thickly.

Hiro saw the glint of seriousness in her eyes as she inspected him for... something? Unfortunately, Hiro couldn't look into her mind to see what that was nor could he pick up the cues from her actions. Whatever it was, being examined underneath her gaze like this made him feel nervous for some unknown reason.

It was uncomfortable, but despite that, Hiro couldn't pull his eyes away from Zero Two. Her body leaned over his own, causing her to place so much proximity between them that her beautiful, princess-like hair could almost tickle his skin. The strawberry fragrance that was spread around her entire bed became even stronger to his nostrils now.

After a few seconds, Zero Two pulled her fingers back and she sucked against her front teeth; a well-known sound of disapproval or irritation. The strawberry fragrance became a bit fainter just like that.

 _What was she doing anyway?_

"It worked only a little," she muttered to herself and picked up the towel from his cold forehead by both ends, then turned her body towards the edge of the bed.

Hiro knew that Zero Two was about to get up without giving him a chance to ask his questions.

"W-Wait! Zero Two, what are you talking about?"

Luckily, the girl paused and looked back at him from over her shoulder, establishing with her body alone that she would listen to what he had to say.

"Oh. You have a fever, so I've been trying to bring it down. Just take it easy. I'll do everything for you, alright?"

Then, the ends of her lips curled into the softest and best smile anyone has ever looked at him with. Perhaps Hiro was incredibly biased, but Zero Two was the only person he's ever known who could tug at his heartstrings with one simple gesture.

She was a perfect angel in this godforsaken world and he didn't deserve her.

 _Ah, but..._

"A fever...?"

Hiro didn't think that was plausible since he genuinely couldn't recall the last time he's ever caught a virus. Therefore, it would be odd for him to receive one now out of nowhere without him noticing any symptoms beforehand. But, then it clicked to him.

"Oh. I'm sorry for making you work like that. You see, it's uh, not a fever. I just... Sometimes, I tend to overheat a little in my sleep as of lately. I know the sweat must've been kinda gross, haha..."

Zero Two shortly stared back at Hiro in disbelief before her brows furrowed together to look at him sternly. It was clear that she was doubting the sincerity of his words.

"Don't lie to me, Hiro."

"N-No, I'm serious!" Hiro stammered, "It happens every night. I wouldn't lie to you, Zero Two. In fact, I think the towel worked well since I don't feel as hot. Here."

Without thinking, Hiro reached over to grab Zero Two's hand with his own. However, what he was about to do suddenly dawned on him, causing his hand to freeze in place centimeters above her untouched hand. He was still cautious about carelessly putting his hands on the girl's body without her consent since he feared it would initiate Zero Two's discomfort.

He didn't want to become someone Zero Two would feel uncomfortable around. Therefore, Hiro quickly retracted his hand from the other's like it was the lid to a hot pan and rightfully placed it back at his side.

His turquoise eyes quickly looked up to gauge Zero Two's reaction in hope that she hadn't noticed, but unfortunately she'd seemed to. Her eyes gazed downwards to where their hands almost touched before the girl looked away and decided to stare at her feet instead. He didn't miss the downcast look in her eyes before she decided to scoot an inch away from him.

Hiro took this as a sign that she wanted to place some space in between them after what he almost did and that quickly ate at him as a form of guilt and disappointment. Unbeknownst to the boy, she was also misinterpreting his actions in her own head.

"I mean... Go ahead and feel again if you want to," Hiro continued what he intended to tell her, but this time in a much lower tone.

His eyes darted to the side at the same time as he was trying to ignore the throbbing sensation that expanded towards the spot behind them. He decided to close his lids again to offer them some temporary relief in the meantime.

He then heard Zero Two sigh exasperatedly.

"Forget that. Explain this to me instead. If you don't have a fever, then what was _that_ back there?"

Hiro was so taken aback by the question that he reopened his eyes. 'Back there'... Did she mean at the ice cream parlor? That was the question _he's_ been wanting to ask her.

"You mean... at the ice cream parlor? I actually don't remember much myself. Sorry. Can you explain to me what happened after we stepped out?"

Zero Two turned her head back around fully to stare him down with a straight face.

"You grabbed your head like you were in pain and then fainted in my arms. So, I took you here since I didn't know where you lived. You've been asleep ever since."

Hiro could logically conclude that 'here' was her place. His brain didn't hurt enough to the point that he wasn't able to put those pieces together, but listening to what Zero Two explained to him was definitely shocking. He actually fainted? No wonder he couldn't recall anything!

"I..."

He was at a loss of words. What could he say to her? The occurrence itself was so strange that he didn't have an answer for it. How did a simple nightmare escalate to _this_? He didn't wish to tell her the possible root cause since it wasn't her battle to deal with; only his.

"I'm sorry... Zero Two. I can't give you a clear answer since I don't know really what's going on myself..."

Out of frustration, his fingers curled and tightly gripped the silky sheets beneath him with one arm. The cloud-like colored, pink satin slipped smoothly between his fingers. The guilt that had already been eating at him was beginning to consume the rest of his brain.

"I must've caused you trouble though, haven't I?" He added lowly in an ashamed tone.

He laid his other arm over his face, immediately enfolding his sight in darkness. While this helped Hiro mentally feel hidden from the world, this also worked to put less strain on his eyes and thus the throbbing decreased a bit.

 _Hide from the truth, or his shame, however? ...What even was truth in this case?_

"You didn't."

Hiro lifted the arm shielding his eyes to look up at Zero Two in surprise. Why? Both because her response had been immediate and because she was denying the fact that he'd ever been a burden to her.

She continued.

"After all, we're..."

Zero Two took a noticeably short pause, but it was a shame Hiro couldn't peer into her mind and see what she had hesitated over.

"...close, aren't we?" she finally finished.

Hiro was unsure of how to respond to this cogent revelation. That's right. They're close and he said so himself, hadn't he? A hushed silence ran through the room and lingered longer than needed while the boy considered these thoughts for a couple seconds.

Once the initial shock subsided and Hiro realized what the only proper response to this could be, he decided to finally open his mouth to say something back. However, his actuated expression slowly fell once Hiro noticed the antsy look plastered on Zero Two's face.

It was a look _he_ placed onto her face because he took too long to answer her. Undoubtedly, this must've sent the wrong assumptions to her mind, so he tried to fix this as quickly as possible.

"I'm sorry. You're absolutely right," Hiro shook his head over how silly he'd been to forget his own words. He looked at her with a smile stretched out across his face, a right touch of warmth to it like always. Despite his state, it seemed he could always manage a smile around the other.

"We are close friends after all."

He hoped that would be enough to suffice for his tardiness, but things didn't go as planned. Hiro expected to see Zero Two's face lift brightly and beautifully like it always did when she was happy, but instead, the boy received the exact opposite of that. Much to Hiro's dismay, Zero Two's face fell for a split second before her features lifted a tad, a smile being forced onto her face in the end.

It happened very quickly, but it was too obvious for even someone as oblivious as Hiro was to miss.

"Yeah..." Zero Two said in a low tone that lacked her usual pep, definitely not matching the smile she attempted to fool him with. She even sounded disappointed?

Hiro watched Zero Two turn her head away from him completely and slowly lower her emerald eyes to her lap, gazing down at her toes instead. Another uncomfortable silence engulfed the room. Meanwhile, Hiro was completely clueless as to why the mood between them was so different now compared to all the other times.

He now felt guilty and stupid. Hiro was almost certain that he made the atmosphere between them so weird that Zero Two wouldn't say anything else to him beyond this point. Hiro brought his arms to both his sides and took Zero Two's cue to also turn his head the opposite direction. He then focused his eyes onto one of the dark corners of the room, trying to ignore the image of a young, frightened girl balled up in the corner that his subconscious started to reconstruct.

Hiro's head spun a little.

Pale and sickly-like skin, a long patient's gown that proved she was a part of the hospital, and beautiful pink hair. Pink hair... For some reason, his eyes moved themselves over to peek at Zero Two from the corner of them. If that girl was grown now, then she would possibly look something like–

"You need to eat."

His eyes widened slightly, almost believing that she might've caught him thinking about her in his mind. Only until he progressed her words and realized the poor logic of his conclusion to begin with. He didn't feel like he had an appetite at all despite the emptiness of his stomach that cried otherwise.

Meanwhile, Zero Two knew the dish was most likely cold by now, but it wouldn't take much for her to quickly run downstairs to heat up Hiro's share. It was a long walk from her bedroom at the deepest end of the hall to the kitchen beneath them. However, Zero Two would do it in a heartbeat for the sake of Hiro's well-being because she needed him better.

"Ah, don't worry about that. I don't really have an appetite. I should actually be on my way home. It must already be la–"

The sound of his abdominal letting out a loud and hollow growl cut him short. The pair quietly stared at each other in disbelief for a few seconds, before they both began to burst into a fit of laughter in unison.

Of course, Zero Two childishly laughed much more than he was in comparison to Hiro who mostly chuckled due to his own embarrassment. It didn't take a long time for the young pair to get themselves together again and under an unlikely circumstance, a soft smile had warmed itself back onto Zero Two's face.

"Got it. I'll be right back then."

The girl stood up from the bed and placed the useless rag down on the nightstand. She then went to reach for the food tray that hadn't been touched for possibly an hour, or so. Zero Two's fingers had almost grasped the handles just when–

"Wait."

She sat up straight and turned back around to face Hiro curiously. Zero Two saw Hiro attempting to sit up in the bed again and instinctively went to help him out, laying her hands down on his shoulders to support him. Hiro didn't need the additional help, but he smiled up at Zero Two to show he appreciated the thought regardless.

Sitting up actually made his head throb more; however that was possible, but Hiro knew that he needed to just bear with it if he wanted to make it home. His smile faltered into awkwardness knowing what he was about to say.

"Zero Two, I uhm... I really appreciate all you've done for me, but I should really go. I can eat at home."

Just as he feared, her beautiful smile quickly dropped into a frown that clearly disapproved of his wishes. In truth, this wasn't what he wanted either, but Hiro was afraid of indulging in his selfishness when it came to someone as important to him as Zero Two was.

Yet one of the things that the pair had in common was their stubbornness and Zero Two was a natural born fighter. Her eyes narrowed determinedly, ready to fight him on this. Just as much as he was willing to do the same.

"No, I won't let you leave when you're clearly still in pain. It's fine to rest some more, Hiro. I promise you that I don't care how long you stay here."

Hiro understood Zero Two's perspective, but he still chose shook his head.

"Zero Two, I haven't had the chance to contact my family at all. They're probably worried about me as we speak. So, I shouldn't hang around too long since I'm awake now."

Zero Two fell quiet because she knew the points Hiro brought up made sense. She can't force Hiro to stay with her either simply because of her own concerns for him. She also figured that his family would have much more helpful resolves for Hiro's condition compared to her own failures to bring him back to good health.

But... Zero Two wouldn't be able to get a good night's rest either if she allowed Hiro to walk home alone in such a state. Her eyes lowered to the food tray in contemplation without any cause, eyebrows furrowed together in slight distress. Subconsciously, she brought her thumb near her mouth and bit down on the nail as a force of habit.

She always did this when faced with a tough decision. It was insane how much of a deep impression Hiro has already made in her life. Zero Two has never cared for another individual the way she did with him. Anyone who wasn't Werner, or her remaining guardians whom she still struggled to open up to.

The girl came to a quick decision, aware that she did not have much time to sit around and argue with Hiro when he would be out of her grasp soon. Her teeth came around from her mildly abused nail to look back over at him.

"Fine, but you have to do me a favor first."

"And what is that?" Hiro looked at her in question, waiting patiently for her to continue.

He tried not to show that he actually felt a bit on edge on the inside. He knew Zero Two wouldn't ask for anything unreasonable _now_ , so why did he feel nervous all of a sudden?

"You have to at least eat before you leave. After that, I'll have Shou drive you home," she answered him.

Hiro's first instinct was to protest. Zero Two's favor was a reasonable one yet Hiro couldn't help but hesitate to agree to her terms. Eating the dish her family prepared for him was one thing, but accepting a ride home from them too would be pushing it. He didn't want Zero Two's family to also look at him like he was helpless, but...

What was more important here? His pride, or Zero Two's happiness? His mind already knew what the answer to that was. He'd spent up all of his energy for the day anyway.

The other half Hiro didn't want to admit to was that he genuinely wanted to stay here longer out of his own self-will. He wanted to stay bundled up between her sheets, her sweet smell enveloping him. Hiro wanted to consume whatever Zero Two presented him with. It would be especially great if it was something she made with her own skills.

Maybe he really was becoming a pervert?

"Okay."

Hiro complied with a nod and a patient look that proved he didn't intend on being even more of a headache for Zero Two by refusing her wishes. Making this choice was also worth seeing the distress leave her face. He personally always felt better witnessing Zero Two's mood lift whether he was the cause, or not.

"Wait here. I'll warm it up real quick."

She turned around and leaned over, fingers grasping the handles of the food tray before she cautiously picked it up. No steam arose from it this time since the air cooled it down completely.

"It's okay. I can eat it as it is."

What Hiro believed was okay to say was instead surprisingly rewarded with a glare from Zero Two. It was as if she was telling him to cooperate with her which was a little funny since Hiro hadn't realized how into this role she truly was. This must be really important to her after all.

"It'll only take me a second. Just shut up and let me do this."

Zero Two made it to the door, using her foot to gently kick it open for herself since both hands were preoccupied at the moment. Just as she was about to make one step out the door, Zero Two paused to look back at Hiro from over her shoulder.

"Oh, and don't move a muscle. Or else."

Hiro laughed at the threat that was most likely supposed to strike fear within him, but obviously, it didn't. "Or else what?"

"Or else you don't want to find out."

Zero Two left her answer as vague as could be before she stepped out of the room and ventured down the long hall. This left Hiro with the feeling that he either didn't want to know or that Zero Two didn't even know in the first place. Well, he didn't wish to find out which one of the two was the case.

Now that he was upright, Hiro used Zero Two's pillows to cushion his back against the headboard of the bed. Maybe in the meantime, he'll rest his eyes? Hiro let out a deep inhale, then softly released the air through his nostrils as he leaned his head back. With his lids shut and his mind at ease, he never felt more relaxed in the past insufferable nights than now _._

He felt an unusual chill against his chest that caused him to bring his fingers to his shirt absentmindedly. He didn't expect much, but he was surprised enough to find his shirt unbuttoned that he reopened his lids. Hiro looked down to confirm what his fingers had felt.

He felt confused; certain that he wouldn't leave the house in such an underdressed state, but he _had_ been in a haste this morning. He was quick to feel embarrassed by the conclusion he made, assuming that he must've presented himself like this to Zero Two all day. He hastily slipped the buttons back into their proper holes before he folded his hands against his stomach, closing his lids to resume his rest.


	10. You Are

Well, here it is! I made it to the deadline after all. I was certain I wouldn't complete this until January. I've decided to still update this story on since it has so many favorites and follows. Anyway, this is a speeecial chapter, so I hope you all enjoy what I've been working on. A bunch of you follow my story, so it would be nice if a few of you left me some feedback, so I can know whether you like the story so far or not. What parts you don't like, etc. It's nice to know what my readers think, but every time I update, I'm usually met with silence. Anyway, read on, guys.

* * *

 **March 2, 2028**

 **10:24 PM**

Zero Two continued down the wide and seemingly endless hall; the walls dark vanilla as ever and the closed, russet doors identical to one another. Her fingers still latched around the handles of the metal food tray. Her bare feet made the floorboard creak, indicating the mansion's gradual yielding to its old age.

She was careful not to rush down the steps of the reddish-brown darkly colored hardwood stairs, not wishing for any drops of the liquid to spill from outside of their bowls accidentally. Once Zero Two reached the last step, she made a turn straight for the kitchen to find that it was empty. All aside from Saburou who was the house's chef.

It was near dinner time so that's expected.

The tall and rotund man, who was in his late fifties, turned around to look back at his visitor from over his shoulder. Beneath him was a single leek on a plastic cutting board and it was defenseless to the kitchen knife in Saburou's right hand. With agile perfection, he chopped the leek up into fine and even pieces.

Saburou being able to pull this off while averting his eyes from the task at hand showed the chef's true experience with culinary. Zero Two briefly recalled her own adventures in this kitchen and how she would attempt to prepare her own meals by putting different sorts of food into the blender that certainly didn't belong together.

At the time, her younger self hadn't known there would actually be people to feed her and they were all assigned to a regular schedule. It was a change in her lifestyle that Zero Two slowly accommodated to back then. A child going from having nothing to suddenly everything within the palm of her hands? It was unreal.

When Saburou's small, chartreuse eyes laid themselves on Zero Two, his round face broke out into a wide and friendly smile. His knife rose from the cutting board as it ceased chopping the vegetable momentarily.

"Oh! Just in time. I'm serving wagyu steak with mashed potatoes tonight. Would you like some grilled salmon with it?"

He knew it was her favorite, but Zero Two would have to decline. She still didn't have an appetite tonight, so asking Saburou to cook something additional for her would be a waste of good food. The girl shook her head and continued to enter the kitchen, making a beeline for the microwave on the opposite side of the large room.

"Don't worry about me, Sabu. I'm not hungry."

The man didn't outright say anything in response to that, but his eyes did silently look at Zero Two and squint themselves slightly to observe her face. He has always been well adept in reading the expressions of others and concluding their current mood.

It allowed Saburou to know whether he should continue to socialize with that person or give them their personal space. Lately, it's unfortunately been the latter with the teenager before him, but Saburou believed it was now safe for him to assume that things were changing for her.

Ah... Teen, huh? He'd also forgotten that Zero Two was an adult now albeit a very young one. Oh, how time quickly passed a person by. Much too fast for an aging geezer like himself.

Saburou slowly nodded his head at Zero Two.

"Then, I'll wrap up two plates for you and your friend to eat whenever you wish to," The man stated as the corners of his lips lifted upward, causing his eyes to create the illusion that they were also smiling at her.

Without another word, the chef returned his focus to the task he temporarily neglected. The dull sound of a blade repeatedly hitting the plastic board resumed and Zero Two let out a low sigh of relief, thankful that she evaded an interrogation that the two women in the house definitely would've given her.

"Thanks," the girl told him while she walked further into the kitchen, passing by the preoccupied man.

Zero Two placed the food tray down on the counter and uncurled her fingers from around the thin handles. The bright indoor lighting that glinted back onto the granite countertop showed that someone recently cleaned it down. She then picked up Hiro's bowl first and placed it into the microwave which Zero Two then set for three minutes.

While the microwave hummed as it warmed up the boy's meal, Zero Two lift the two glasses from the cork coasters and refilled it with the faucet's water. She knew they were cold enough once the glasses felt like ice against her bare palms.

A new set of footsteps entered the room, and without turning around, Zero Two could tell the person they belonged to was slowly approaching her from behind. The girl could immediately discern who it was by the hard steps the woman made against the kitchen floor.

"Ah. I've taken it that Young Hiro has woken up?" A voice belonging to the person Zero Two suspected asked in an ingenious tone.

The faucet let out a tiny squeak as Zero Two turned it off. Next, she rested the cups back onto their coasters, before turning half of her body towards Mayuki who stood before her. The woman had her hands folded against her lap properly, but on her face, she wore a clever smile as if she already knew the answer to her question.

Zero Two wondered why the woman bothered asking then? She rested her hands against the edge of the countertop and leaned against it. The microwave continued to hum in the background.

"Just Hiro is fine and yes, he's awake. How did you figure?"

Sawako and Mayuki were being nosier than usual today. They haven't left her alone all day. They've been meddlesome ever since her recent discharge, but it was harder for her to dismiss the two women's behaviors when they were being so particularly... _odd_ today.

"It's because you're smiling, sweetheart."

This revelation made Zero Two freeze in her spot and the cheerful smile on her face quickly dipped into her usual bored frown. Zero Two previously had no clue she was walking around the house with the expression sitting openly on her face, but now that she was aware of it, her self-conscious easily consumed her.

Zero Two soon turned away from Mayuki's judging eyes altogether. However, the girl's attempt to "fix" her expression was pointless since the older adult watched the transformation happen right before her eyes. It was a part of Zero Two's personality to be this obstinate though.

"I wasn't. You're imagining it," Zero Two denied as calmly as she could, eyes completely averted from Mayuki's.

It was clear she was doing her best effort to pretend that the woman beside her didn't exist. Instead, Zero Two's eyes looked forward at the bowl that was still slowly spinning in circles inside the yellow, glowing microwave.

Her clear denial earned her a hearty chuckle from the fifty-four-year-old woman who raised a fist to cover her mouth courteously. Hearing the chuckle in her ear made Zero Two feel a bit frustrated, but she tried her best to ignore the prying feeling she was being teased by the adult.

"Oh, I might be well in my mid-fifties, but I know a smile when I see it. There's nothing you can get past me, sweetheart. I've never seen you parade around the house as happy as you are with that boy."

This caused a feeling of awkwardness to ensue within Zero Two and involuntarily, a warm sensation pooled at her normally ivory-white cheeks; pricked with a faint rosy color. Her eyebrows furrowed together, her bottom lip poked itself out into an angry pout, and her heart thumped loudly in her chest. It thumped so loudly that she was almost certain that Mayuki's old ears had some unique way of picking up on it too.

There were rare times in which Zero Two genuinely felt flustered by something or someone else in particular. So, she didn't know how else to deal with her whirlwind of emotions except become frustrated by them. Fortunately, Zero Two wouldn't have to deal with the consequences that would come from her taking her frustration out on Mayuki, of all people, when the microwave let out a life-saving, high-pitched beep.

Zero Two never flung the microwave door open so fast in her life before, not even waiting for it to get to the second beep before she acted. The bowl was hot against her bare fingers as she took the dish out, but Zero Two didn't care. Her left eye only winced as she slowly set the overheated container back down onto the food tray. Her fingers released the bowl and went to slam the microwave door shut, just as Mayuki's taunting chuckles increased in constancy into her ear.

God, honestly. Couldn't the woman go play shogi with Shou like they always do, or something?

"In a haste?" Mayuki continued to tease her, clearly not afraid to step on Zero Two's nerves.

Too bad this said victim didn't want to stick around much longer to hear what else her cheeky guardian had to say to her. She had one more bowl to warm up which was her own, but Zero Two was more than fine with this outcome. She hardly planned on eating herself, so this created a convenient escape plan for Zero Two.

With a small but audible huff, the girl picked up the food tray by its handles once again. Comically, her cheeks still tinged with a rosy color, but it was now harder to discern which was from embarrassment and which was from Zero Two getting unnecessarily riled up.

It would be safe for Mayuki to assume it was from both which added to her amusement.

"I need to return. Darling needs me," she replied haughtily, not even realizing the mistake she made until it was far too late.

Just when Zero Two turned around completely, then came the worst embarrassment she'll possibly ever feel in her life.

"... _Darling_ needs you?"

 _Oh, fuck._

That time it _wasn't_ Mayuki's words, but Sawako's instead. The woman had just finished preparing the tableware in the nearby dining room when she caught wind of the distant commotion. Upon recognizing Zero Two's voice, she naturally came over to join the conversation. Unfortunately for Zero Two, that meant both of her provokers were now inside the room with her and they just heard the biggest slip-up in her life.

Mayuki's faint, teal blue eyes enlarged in visible surprise, as with Sawako's dark brown ones. Internally the women were questioning if they heard Zero Two correctly. Oh, how Zero Two wished it was only a figment of their imagination, but their ears didn't betray them.

The way Sawako placed so much emphasis on the affectionate term showed that she wanted to more about this. After all, this was the first time the woman—in her long life—has heard the word ever come from Zero Two's mouth. Albeit, the term _was_ nostalgically familiar inside this household, but for another reason entirely.

"Did I hear right, Mayuki? She called that boy her 'darling'."

 _Shit, shit!_

"If neither of our ears betrays us, then I believe so, Sawako."

The two housemaids shared a knowing look with each other before they giggled in unison. The corners of their lips then curved into an identical, sly smile. Meanwhile, Zero Two couldn't muster the strength to turn back around and face them after her fumble. She knew they probably looked smug as hell right about now. For the sake of her pride, she had to at least try to cover for her stupid slip of the tongue.

"I, uh..."

...Nothing. She had absolutely nothing. Feeling herself reach a corner like this made Zero Two's frustration with the situation boil like tea in a pot. Who would put the lid over the pot to prevent it from overflowing?

"Urgh, shut up!" Zero Two suddenly snapped at the two once she had enough.

Yet despite her obvious anger, their impish smiles never diminished. After all, they were used to the young girl's short temper. Normal teenage attitude and whatnot, they've dealt with it all. One day, they must face the fact that Zero Two was a young woman now regardless of how her behavior said the opposite.

As for Zero Two, she genuinely knew no other way to deal with her own emotions besides relying on her anger. However, she chewed down on her bottom lip after the outburst, able to acknowledge how out of line she acted just now. So, Zero Two would do the second best thing she was good at and that was to run away from the situation altogether. She didn't want to go back on her promise to act better towards her only remaining guardians.

Lest Zero Two end up feeling regretful as she had and still does when she lost Werner.

"Wait."

Before she could get more than three steps away from the pair, that single word alone was enough to make her halt abruptly.

At first, her fingers squeezed at the handles of the food tray. Her body and mental state were conditioned to become tense in defense whenever she believed Mayuki was about to scold her. However, she drew in some air then softly expelled it through nostrils to prepare herself for what Zero Two expected to come. The quicker she let this happen, the sooner she could get back to Darling. His stomach must be grumbling right about now.

"What?" Zero Two replied as she looked back at them from over shoulder, sounding more impatient than she intended to. As Mayuki raised a fist to her mouth and cleared her throat, Zero Two had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes.

"Teasing aside; I'm...-" Mayuki took a short pause to spare Sawako a glance, acknowledging her existence in the room.

"-No, I believe I can speak for Sawako and myself when I say we're happy that you've found someone important to you. You deserve this more than anyone else I know. I hope this boy appreciates you fully. Although, he must be quite the gentleman to have captured your heart. I can tell that you care about him plenty too."

Mayuki didn't finish her thoughts without an additional wink at the end. This made Zero Two's stomach stir. Not from disgust, but with something light and fluttery. It was a sensation she'd get whenever someone mentioned Hiro or talked about parts of him she equally admired. It was weird and insane.

"Oh, Yuki! Don't tease the poor girl too much. We might have to drive her back to the hospital if she passes out from embarrassment right here," Sawako added with a chuckle, lightly patting Mayuki on the side of her arm with her hand.

Hypocritically, she was only adding to Zero Two's torment. Her quip drew the victim for tonight out her thoughts, reminding her that at the end of all of this, they were only here to poke fun at her for their own gain. Therefore, the girl knew she shouldn't take them too seriously. This time, Zero Two allowed them to see her annoyed eye-roll and turned her body back around.

"Cya."

As she descended out of the kitchen and traveled back up the wooden stairs, she could still hear Mayuki and Sawako engaging in a conversation between just themselves. Their voices were a little more hushed, but they still echoed throughout the hallway which started at the front door and traveled down too far for anyone to determine where if they didn't live within these quarters. Their words were also very audible, but Zero Two did her best to block out the current topic of their interest.

As her heart continued to run laps in her heart, Zero Two continuously told herself that the possibility of their words having some truth to it shouldn't terrify her.

.

.

.

Hiro sipped the last of the broth from the beef stew into his mouth, slurping noisily as he did so. Once there was nothing else left in the bowl to consume, he gently placed the dish back down onto Zero Two's nightstand with the spoon still inside. With the taste of the stew still fresh on his lips, Hiro smiled over at Zero Two who sat beside him on the bed. He had successfully persuaded her to join him in her bed instead of hanging at the edge as if the furniture wasn't hers.

From then, they shared the appetizing although late lunch together. The meal prepared for him was delicious and it completely sated the starvation Hiro wasn't aware his body had been feeling moments ago. When the irresistible aroma of the beef stew beckoned him, it awoke another deep growl from his poor stomach.

At the time, Zero Two giggled over the involuntary reaction Hiro's body made which added to the boy's further embarrassment.

Even though it disappointedly hadn't been prepared by Zero Two's own hands, Hiro still enjoyed the meal from start to finish. There was something special about knowing the food came specifically from Zero Two's kitchen. He would have to remember to thank whoever prepared his meal before he left.

A quick peek into her bowl allowed Hiro to see that Zero Two finished her meal too. That was good since he had to "threaten" Zero Two to get her to fill her own stomach up. And by 'threaten', he meant refusing to eat unless she did so too. Hiro honestly felt lucky with how well that spontaneous idea worked out. He loved sharing meals with her and for once, it was the same as the other's dish.

 _"Be careful, it's hot," Zero Two warned Hiro as she slowly passed him the bowl._

 _Able to see the steam emerging from the surface of the bowl, Hiro heeded her warning when he cautiously took it into his own hands. The chunky stew saturated the air with its tempting aroma, triggering another low cry from his stomach. As a result, this caused his cheeks to flush red in embarrassment over his own state of hunger._

 _Hiro discreetly hid his face as best he could from the other by focusing on the bowl on his lap. However, that didn't save Hiro from the further embarrassment he felt upon hearing the giggle leave Zero Two's lips. Evidently, her ears didn't fail her as he hoped so._

 _"Hurry and eat before your stomach beats you up," Zero Two teased him._

 _He didn't need her to tell him twice. Without a moment's hesitation, Hiro scooped up a large chunk of meat and carrot with the bowl of the silver spoon, brown broth dripping from each side of the utensil. Eagerly, the boy raised the first sample to his awaiting mouth and when the food finally reached his tongue, Hiro could feel his entire mouth explode with the rich and spicy flavor._

 _It was so delicious!_

 _"Holy crap- Mmm."_

 _He tried to be careful not to speak with his mouth filled, so Hiro quickly closed it. The scrumptiousness of the meal made him momentarily forget his table manners since he couldn't help but immediately appreciate the taste. It was better than what his two hands could put together. Either that, or he was so incredibly hungry that it tasted ten times greater than it actually was._

 _Whichever was the case, Hiro planned to eat every last bit of it. Just as he was about to bring another bite to his mouth nimbly, his turquoise eyes glanced over and noticed how still Zero Two was. She wasn't touching her own bowl at all, but instead, watched him as he sated his own immense hunger. Surely she had to be hungry herself?_

 _Finding that odd, Hiro slowly lowered the spoon back down into the stew and closed his mouth._

 _"Aren't you going to eat too?" he asked her._

 _"Hm? No, I'm not hungry."_

 _Hiro didn't like that answer at all. In fact, it was very hypocritical of Zero Two to persuade him to eat when she wouldn't do the same. That wasn't the main issue,_ however _. How could he feel okay if Zero Two didn't take care of herself as well?_

 _"Then, I won't eat either," Hiro decided resolutely as he dropped his spoon into his bowl altogether now, then dropped his hands into his lap to prove his defiance._

 _Naturally, Zero Two felt taken aback by this. Surprise filled her eyes for a split second before they quickly narrowed in his direction._

 _"Stop joking around and eat, Hiro."_

 _"I'm not. If you won't eat, then I don't see why I should."_

 _Hiro shrugged his shoulders as he stressed his view. The boy was unaccustomed to not living up to someone's expectations of him. Therefore, he wasn't too confident if him pretending to want to disobey Zero Two's wish looked believable to her, or not. Yet it worked because Zero Two eventually reached over for her lonely bowl, but not without grumbling indistinct words._

 _"Fine."_

 _Hiro's frown quickly curved into a contented smile as the boy watched her pick up her own spoon, then slip it into her mouth roughly. Zero Two munched down on her food with unnecessary force and with her brows knitted together in anger, making it clear that she was doing this reluctantly. However, Hiro thought she still looked utterly adorable._

 _"Happy?" Zero Two asked rhetorically as she looked up from her bowl, trickles of juice dripping down from her lips cutely._

 _With the precious and funny sight before him, Hiro couldn't hold back the short laughter that escaped him. As a result, Zero Two visibly looked more annoyed with him and since Hiro didn't want the girl to feel that way, he was quick to regain his composure after a minute._

 _"Mm..." Hiro nodded his head as the boy lifted his spoon, showing he would go through with his end of the deal too, "Completely."_

To himself, Hiro shook his head lightly as he recalled what he went through to get the girl to perform such a basic need. Handling Zero Two was similar to handling a child sometimes, but he didn't mean that as an insult. It was definitely far from one.

"Thank you, Zero Two. That was one of the best meals I've ever had," Hiro told her earnestly, but his honesty earned him a suspicious squint from Zero Two.

"You don't have to flatter me, or anything, you know?"

For Zero Two, the food tasted old to her, so it didn't quite have the same spark as it did the first time she ate beef stew as a child. Beef stew was one of her first genuine meals in fact. When Zero Two was younger, she was accustomed to indulging in stale crackers, or anything else she could find in the pantry that would suffice. So, once she could put real food in her stomach, the experience was as magical as a child discovering candy for the very first time.

"No, I meant it. My cooking can't even compare," he admitted while flustered, scratching his cheek with his finger idly.

Hiro was beginning to feel silly for all those meals he cooked for Zero Two while she was cooped up in the hospital. It was clear her family could've done a much better job than him.

"But I love your food! Hiro, if you stop cooking for me because of this, I'll be _really_ angry with you."

"Heh... Well, I guess I can't have that then. Can I?" Hiro offered her a small, warm smile.

"Nope!" Zero Two loudly proclaimed before folding her arms underneath her breasts, then pushing her chest out much to Hiro's misfortune.

Her childish response normally would elicit a laugh from Hiro in return, but under this circumstance, Hiro failed to resist the urge of his hormones. His eyes lingered to Zero Two's chest for a brief moment and Hiro found himself attracted to how full they appeared. The thickness of her uniform blouse or the bagginess of her hospital gown would usually hide her chest from him.

This definitely wasn't helping Hiro erase the image of Zero Two's bare back from his mind. Once he realized what he was doing, Hiro awkwardly averted his eyes from her body to stare at a wall instead. The last thing he wanted to happen was for Zero Two to catch him staring at her body. She would undoubtedly never let him live it down.

The inopportune mood didn't last for long since an unexpected throb interrupted his thoughts. The pain that was occurring at the front of Hiro's head was fortunately dull this time, but still a literal headache for him.

Hiro closed his lids and rested his forehead into his palm. This has been tormenting him long enough.

"It's still there, isn't it?"

He heard Zero Two knowingly say this, causing him to open his turquoise eyes and lift his head up to look at her. It was clear in her eyes that she was worried for him which made Hiro feel bad. To prevent that, Hiro knew not to look too weak in front of her.

"Ah, yeah..." Hiro forced out a small chuckle, attempting to downplay the actual severity of the pain. This next part was about to be awkward for him to ask of her. "Um... Zero Two?"

Her eyes became wide with alert, "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, but can I ask you to grab something for me?"

"Huh? Yeah, anything! What is it?" Zero Two answered much quicker to his request than Hiro honestly expected. She even scooted closer to him, placing her weight against her arms so that she could lean forward.

It was like she was hanging onto every word he spoke now. This made Hiro feel more in the spotlight which also had the result of making the boy feel a little shy. Seeking an escape from his self-inflicted embarrassment, he averted his eyes from her momentarily.

"My backpack. Did you... uh, bring it?"

Hiro expected an immediate answer from her, but instead, he received a rather unsettling pause. This naturally raised his awareness and forced Hiro to get over himself to make certain she was alright. She stared back at him, but in an unusually quiet state and a nervous look in her wide eyes.

This led Hiro to assume that Zero Two must have left it behind after all. Just as he parted his lips to reassure Zero Two it was fine if she forgot, the girl's hasty voice beat him to the punch.

"Y-Yes," Zero Two stammered uncharacteristically, placing her hands on her knees before curling her fingers up. "What do you... need from your backpack? I'll get it for you."

A sense of relief swept through him upon hearing that. Hiro had a few important things inside his backpack. Although, they weren't anything that was worth getting angry at Zero Two over. His items were replaceable.

"Thanks. I have a white, miniature bottle of painkillers in one of the front compartments. There's no zipper, so you should spot it easily. Can you give it to me?"

"Sure!" Zero Two nodded her head quickly before she swiftly stood up from the bed, the mattress dipping as the weight against the bed shifted.

She appeared to be in a rush and a little tense now, but Hiro couldn't decide what to make out of it other than the girl being eager to nurse him. After all, Zero Two was being just as vocal now as she was when she was instructing him to stay in bed and eat. Zero Two already knew where the backpack was since she remembered placing it by the foot of the bed.

The girl lowered herself to her knees and looked into the already unzipped backpack, checking the place Hiro guided her to. His backpack was free from any clutter, therefore, it was easy for Zero Two to find the very thing Hiro needed.

Once the sound of pills rattling around inside a small and weightless container reached both their ears, the two of them knew they found what they were looking for.

Or so they believed.

Zero Two pulled her arm out of Hiro's bag only to see an orange prescription bottle in her hand instead of the pure white one Hiro described to her. She took hold of the wrong bottle, but _what_ did she hold in her hand right now? Confused and with her curiosity now piqued, she turned the bottle around until the drug's name faced her.

It read 'sertraline' with 'Hiro Akiyama' labeled onto the bottle, an instruction on how many capsules to take each night, and other necessary information for someone who's prescribed to medication. It's a drug for people who suffer from psychological disorders. Zero Two knew this well, but she wasn't sure what to feel about this discovery other than the shock that stiffened her body.

 _If Darling is medicated for something like this, then... does that explain-..._

"...Zero Two? Did you find it?"

The sound of Hiro's voice immediately broke her from her thoughts, but it was the sound of the bedsprings creaking that startled Zero Two more. Suddenly feeling like a deer caught in someone's car headlights, Zero Two quickly stuffed the bottle back into its proper pocket and looked for the right one in more of a rush this time.

"Yeah! Just hold on, uh.."

Fortunately, it didn't take much for Zero Two to retrieve what she was searching for. As soon as the bottle of painkillers were in her grasp, she bounced back onto her feet and rushed to Hiro's bedside. He was already flashing her a grateful smile that should've made Zero Two feel guilty for prying into his belongings. Surprisingly, the guilt didn't show its ugly face this once.

"I guess I spaced out a little. These are it, right?" The girl made up her lie before she took her seat beside Hiro, causing the springs to let out another creak from the additional weight. That was another sign she's long outgrown her old, but still oversized bed.

"Yup. Thanks, Zero Two."

As Hiro took the pills from her and unscrewed the cap, Zero Two turned around to pick up one of the glass cups from the nightstand. The water inside was lukewarm by now and there was only half a sip left, but she hoped it would help Hiro wash down the medicine regardless of these factors.

"Here, Hiro."

Two pills were already in the palm of his hand, so Hiro used the other to accept the glass of water from her. For a split second, his fingers touched hers as she passed the cup over to him, initiating a familiar rise from within him that has only taken place with her on multiple occasions.

"Th-Thanks..." Hiro responded while trying to ignore the rouse he felt from the short physical contact with Zero Two.

He pressed the hand holding his pills over his mouth, popping them in faster in the hope it'll somehow ease his nerves too. Then, he rose the brim of the cup to his mouth and swallowed his pills down with water. While he was trying to forget his own feelings, Hiro missed the fact that Zero Two was going through something too.

Was it okay for her to know that much about him? Would he be angry with her for intentionally taking advantage of his illness to snoop?

He should and while Zero Two knew he had every reason to, it didn't make her feel guilty. Instead, Zero Two was even more worried about him, but worst of all, she was jealous.

She was jealous of Hiro's family. They knew everything about Hiro, the kind of things he dealt with, the sides of himself that he doesn't show her. Yet from where she stood, Zero Two felt like she knew absolutely nothing about the person she cherished. How come Hiro was keeping it to himself?

Hiro released a low groan as he stretched out his arms, his body naturally feeling stiff after the hours he spent sleeping in Zero Two's bed. He pushed the light pink bedsheets to the side and turned his body around, prepared to sit up from the bed.

"It's about time I head back home now. Thank you for everything. Really-"

A hand reflexively came to the center of his chest and applied enough pressure to force Hiro to sink back into the bed. The boy already knew what she was about to say to him next, so he beat her to it.

"I'm fine, Zero Two. It's just a small headache; it won't kill me."

"Hm..." Zero Two was silent as she skeptically looked Hiro up and down, wanting to confirm for herself that he wasn't lying to her.

That was difficult for her to do without being able to experience his pain herself, so she had no other choice but to trust him.

"...Fine. Whatever you say."

She quietly turned back around and slid to the right, making room for Hiro to get up in the bed. Hiro understood the message through her actions. With a relieved smile on his face, he finally moved out from under the sheets. One look at Zero Two's blank expression made Hiro suspect that something was bugging her. However, he surmised it to her finding it hard to fully believe him about his slow recovery.

His movements were slower with the dull pounding taking place in his head, but he hoped that Zero Two wouldn't take notice of it. Once Hiro was up on his feet, his eyes scanned the room in search of his backpack.

"Hey, Zero Two. Where's my- ...Nevermind, I see it."

He noticed that part of his backpack was sticking out from the foot of the bed, so Hiro stepped forward to retrieve his belonging. However, that was then when Zero Two popped up and figuratively jumped onto her feet as if quickly recalling something urgent.

"Wait! Let me get it for you," she said rather hastily, not allowing the other a chance to protest before she sprinted over to where his backpack was and bent down on her knees.

Hiro couldn't see anything from over the bed in his current spot, but his ears picked up the sound of a zipper being closed. Not long after, Zero Two turned back around and walked over to where he stood, holding out his backpack towards him.

He accepted his belonging back and took the loose straps from Zero Two's hand, eyes silently observing the girl's expression the entire time. He suspected nothing about her kindness since he knew Zero Two to be a thoughtful person regardless of what was whispered about her. What raised Hiro's suspicion, in particular, was how off she seemed right at this moment.

He couldn't look away from the nervousness that Zero Two was failing to keep under wraps.

"Are..." The first word he uttered made Zero Two's gaze avert from the backpack in his hands and look back into his eyes. A pretty, sea-colored ocean of anxiety stared back at him.

"...you okay?"

Hiro waited to see how she would answer him, however, the boy knew he wouldn't receive the one he wanted to hear once Zero Two nodded her head much too quickly. It seemed as if it was more of a tactic to dismiss his concern rather than to reassure him she was fine.

"There's nothing about me to worry about. I'll find Shou and have him drive you home now. Come on," she replied verbally now, already turning away from him and making a move towards the only door out of her bedroom.

Although Zero Two claimed there was nothing to fret about, Hiro felt that its become second nature of him _to_ think about her. It possibly wasn't his place to pry, but he couldn't help conclude that he might be the cause of Zero Two's behavior? But he could also very well be overthinking it. His head wasn't in its best state to be thinking critically.

As Hiro's questions and doubts continued to stir around in his head, he placed his backpack over one shoulder and caught up with Zero Two until they were walking side by side. As she led the way, Hiro silently took an interest in the interior of the massive house.

He's been in many places inside the city with Zero Two, but never her own place. Therefore, it was natural for Hiro to be intrigued by every little thing he passed and pay attention to its detail. Despite the unfortunate and embarrassing circumstances that brought him here, a large part of himself hoped this wouldn't be the last time he'll ever see this place.

Then, he noticed that on the dark vanilla walls were silver nails perfectly aligned and deeply affixed into the wall. There were enough for Hiro to believe they were once portraits that hung on this specific wall, but why take them down?

 _Weird._

He didn't think another second of it before he turned his head back around to Zero Two and genuinely smiled at her.

"Thanks... for offering a ride that is. You know you don't have to this," Hiro said, trying to return the subject to where it initially was.

"I want to do it. Isn't that enough?" Zero Two responded plainly, arms folded against her chest in a seemingly comforting way.

Her tone was becoming more distinct by the second and that alone would've been enough for anyone to get the message to lay off. Hiro wasn't just anyone though. He saw the dodginess in her eyes and the way she bit down on her lower lip as a substitute for her thumb's nail. She was still nervous about something, but she was trying not to show it.

He couldn't ignore this then.

"Zero Two... Did I happen to say, or do anything you didn't like?"

For a few seconds, only their sock-covered feet made a sound as they caused the floorboards to creak every so often. Hiro's eyes remained fixated on Zero Two the entire time.

"...Not really," she finally spoke, fingers curling around the end of her shirt's sleeve.

"Then, what's wrong? You seem sorta diff-"

"Hey, Shou!" Zero Two suddenly raised her voice, arms quickly unfolding themselves. She then scurried away from him to meet the tall man at the end of the hallway.

The mentioned man paused in his tracks and had already turned his body towards Zero Two before she even stopped in front of him. It was like Shou was trained to respond in this fashion to her voice. Hiro didn't have any servants of his own, so he didn't know how it felt to have people other than his siblings in his home. Shou didn't appear to be any older than in his late forties or early fifties from Hiro's first impression of him. The man looked rather clean for his assumed age, donning a formal and freshly ironed suit.

The suit was black from head-to-toe; made together by dark trousers, a white blouse with a topcoat worn over it, and silky white cuffs at end of his sleeves. The final touch was the striped blue tie fastened around his wrinkly neck. Hiro assumed there were also some dress shoes at the front door to complete this professional look, but instead the elder courteously wore slippers on his feet.

At the moment, it didn't seem as if Shou was in the middle of anything in particular. It was likely that he was the same person who had picked them up earlier unless there were more designated drivers around the mansion. It wouldn't surprise Hiro if that was the case.

Hiro watched the two up ahead converse with one another. There was a patient smile on Shou's face the entire time which showed that he was engaged in his conversation with her. The moment the elder looked up from Zero Two to take a swift glance at him told Hiro that they were currently discussing his favor. The boy took that as his cue to catch up with them and enter himself into their conversation.

His doubts about Zero Two would have to lie to rest for the remainder of the night. While tugging the strap of his backpack closer to his body, Hiro calmly walked over to Zero Two and Shou. Then, he looked up at his senior with the most professional smile he could muster and bowed deeply before him.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Hiro."

 **March 2, 2028**

 **11:18 PM**

"Thanks for the ride," Hiro said into the stretched limousine, leaning down to be at eye level with the person who'd driven him back to his house.

He held the car door open with his right hand which Shou had attempted to come around and open it for him, but Hiro made certain not to make his senior do more than he needed to.

"It's my pleasure, Young Hiro," Shou replied with a single and courteous nod, his wrinkly hands holding onto the steering wheel.

The still limousine's engine continued to hum. Shou intended to drive off soon, but he would only do so once he was certain that Hiro got into his home alright. In the back of the elder's mind, Shou knew Zero Two wouldn't easily forgive him if something were to happen to Hiro on his account.

"...I think she would be thrilled to see you come around again. Of course, we would be too," the man included truthfully.

By 'she', Hiro immediately understood that Shou was referring to Zero Two. However, he didn't want to act too bold in case Shou only felt obligated to be generous to him because he was Zero Two's house guest.

Surely, Zero Two had other people she would rather spend time with too. Such as her friends although he's never seen them with her.

"I'll try to stop by again sometime then," Hiro responded while unsure if he'd actually go through with those words.

However, it would be rude of him to tell the man he might not be able to come around.

"We'll look forward to your next visit, Young Hiro," Shou responded with an excited grin the elder did his best to contain.

He didn't completely understand the reaction, but nonetheless, Hiro returned the smile with one of his own. Then, he finally shut the black car door and turned around to walk toward the front of his home. The surrounding sky was a midnight blue and he could hardly make out the details of his home in the darkness which showed how late it was. However, the light that came from the downstairs living room reassured Hiro that somebody was awake.

The crispy cold air covered his arms in goosebumps and made Hiro want to make his way inside as soon as possible. In the meantime, he folded his arms against his chest and used his hands to rub them up and down as to conduct some heat. It was surely hot during the day, but boy, did the temperature drop once the sun fell.

He ascended up the stone-made footsteps, the pathway lights illuminating the entire walk there. They were timed to turn on every day at 5 o'clock PM which was just when the sun would set. Just as Hiro made it up all the steps, the front door suddenly flung open. His smallest sister stood before him with a shocked expression plastered on her face.

"Hiro!"

Hiro greeted her with a half-tired smile, "I'm home, Ich-"

She didn't allow Hiro a chance to say another word, running straight toward him instead until Hiro felt the weight of her body against his. Ichigo embraced him tightly with her face against his warm chest, but Hiro was too alarmed by her behavior to return the familial affection. Instead, his arms hung in the air awkwardly.

"-go...?"

"God. Where the hell have you been? We were worried sick!"

"R-Really? ...Sorry, Ichigo. I-"

His sister unwrapped her short arms from around his body and took a step back, looking him in the eyes. Surprisingly, she didn't look angry but relieved.

"Wait. Explain yourself inside. I'm not the only one who's worried about you."

Normally, Hiro would've immediately felt guilty for causing such a stir amongst his household. But instead, he could only think about how much he wasn't looking forward to what was to come. He felt mentally and physically tired, but Hiro nodded his head and took a step inside.

Almost immediately, he found his problem with the cold cared to since there was always a heater on to keep the place toasty whenever the temperature outside dropped. Therefore, walking inside his home felt the same as walking into a warm oven.

However, as a result, Hiro was feeling even wearier now. Thoughts of throwing himself down on his bed and not waking up until the following morning filled his mind. Ichigo closed the door behind the two of them calmly, but not before he picked up the sharp screech of a car's tire in the background. This let Hiro know Shou had finally driven off.

"There he is," Goro said from in between Futoshi and Ikuno on the seat. There was a relieved look on his face rather than the large grin Hiro's accustomed to.

He was surprised to see his siblings all awake and together all in one place. Had they been waiting for him in the living room this entire time? Some of his siblings were bundled up on the couch, including Naomi and Futoshi who had fallen fast asleep against each other with a cotton-made blanket draped over their bodies. The rest of his siblings stood and had their heads turned towards him with wide eyes minus Misturu who looked mildly frustrated instead.

"We were worried about you, you big idiot!" Miku yelled, tears pricking her long lashes which she was quick to wipe away with her index finger.

Ichigo moved away from the door and in front of Hiro instead, craning her neck to look up at him; something she was used to having to do with all her brothers.

She began with clearing her throat. "Hiro, why didn't you check in with any of us? This isn't like you. Also, who was that person driving the limo?"

"A _limo?_ " Miku said in slight confusion, hands resting on her hips. Hiro could also detect half-jealousy in her tone. "Hmph. Why doesn't Papa ever let us ride in a limo?"

Ichigo spared Miku a serious glance from over her shoulder which the ginger-haired girl quickly understood without any words being exchanged.

"Sheesh. I got it, I got it," His younger sister sighed as she rolled her sky blue eyes, twin-tails swinging with her as Miku looked away from them both.

Her hands were still on her hips and although she was ignoring Ichigo, Miku was still actively listening for Hiro's answer. Hiro, however, didn't feel up for any of this interrogation. His headache hadn't subsided yet. It was still there even though it was dull and he mentally didn't have the energy to keep up with his siblings' feelings tonight. He just wanted to close his eyes and fall asleep to the throbbing in his head.

"I know. I... I'll explain it all in the morning. I just want to sleep for now. Sorry, guys."

With his head hung low, Hiro slowly walked past his siblings without thinking about how his action would make them feel. He saw their worried looks, but he didn't want to think about them right now.

"Hiro," Mitsuru suddenly called out to him which caused Hiro to pause before he made his next step.

This was surprising since his brother usually only spoke when he felt it was necessary to. Mitsuru always had a lot of opinions and he wasn't afraid to be as blunt as possible about them. Because Hiro knew that, he'd already mentally jumped to defense mode.

"I... _We_ all think it's great you've found someone you can trust in place of us, but you're forgetting that we're your family too."

When Hiro heard this, he turned back around to be face-to-face with his nine siblings again. He mostly focused on the impatient look in Mitsuru's hard eyes though.

"What?" Hiro said, ignorant as to what Mitsuru was trying to imply.

"I'm saying don't we deserve to know what's going on in your life more than a pretty stranger who's charmed her way into your heart?"

The mention of Zero Two from Mitsuru's mouth in such an obnoxious tone was enough to get a rise out of him. Hiro already couldn't think rationally, so it was easy for him to misunderstand Mitsuru's intention. Only able to see this as a verbal attack towards Zero Two, Hiro felt ready to retort viciously, but he didn't.

He didn't want to explode at any of his family members no matter how much he felt the need to tell them to leave him alone. Instead, he did his best to suppress his clumsy aggression with a closed fist. His eyes lowered to his feet and his shaggy, black bangs draped over his face to hide their irritation.

Meanwhile, his other siblings had yet to move a muscle, or disagree with Mitsuru aloud. This meant they felt the same way as he did. Did all of them talk about him and Zero Two behind their backs?

"I see. Is this how you all feel about Zero Two?" he asked sharply.

Kokoro's eyes widened slightly. Out of all of them, she was the one who hated confrontations and miscommunication the most considering her gentle and sympathetic nature. Therefore, what she was about to say was natural of her.

"No! That's not what Mitsuru means at all. We love her. She... Zero Two seems like a good friend to you and all, but um..."

"Yeah! Zero Two seems like a fun person too," Miku quickly added after hearing Kokoro fail to finish her thoughts.

Mitsuru clicked his tongue against his teeth with his arms folded against his chest, eyes still staring Hiro down.

"Don't make excuses for him. That girl is running your entire life now, isn't she? Do you even remember who we are?" he sneered.

 _That's it._

Hiro couldn't just stand idly by when Zero Two was being bashed by his own brother out of all people. He held his head up and narrowed his eyes towards Mitsuru's own, fingers slowly uncurling from his fist. All thoughts of his own tiredness left his mind as his brain was replaced with a new need: defending Zero Two.

Hiro locked his jaw muscles and took a courageous step forward. Meanwhile, Mitsuru unfolded his arms and appeared ready for anything that would happen next. However, before Hiro could take another step, Ichigo placed herself in between them.

"Enough," she said, spreading her arms out to keep them away from one another. Fortunately, neither of the boys took another step, but their ire towards one another was still clear.

No one knew what would've happened had Ichigo not intervened, but frankly, they didn't want to find out either.

"Let's leave Hiro alone. He's had a long day," Ichigo stated as she looked between their faces. Their expressions were both full of contempt.

This wasn't the first time an argument has broken out from within the Akiyama household, but it's surely been a while since most of them were often quiet about their true feelings. Maybe this was not as much of an argument then, but something that should've happened much earlier.

With his eyebrows furrowed, Mitsuru clicked his tongue against his teeth in frustration.

"Whatever," he responded and looked away from Hiro, trying to appear careless about the situation. With his arms folded, the boy walked around Ichigo and Hiro until he was out of the living room area altogether. He decided he would blow off his steam in their vacant library down the hall.

Ichigo let out a tired sigh before dropping her arms down to her sides all at once. While she was relieved that the situation didn't escalate when it easily could've, the girl wasn't happy about the way they handled their emotions. She looked up at Hiro whose eyes were closed and chin tilted slightly downwards.

Hiro looked both tired and guilty about his own actions.

"Go ahead," the blue-haired said to him lowly before walking away from Hiro first. In a much louder tone, she then addressed the rest of her sisters and brothers. "Let's head to bed, guys. Papa will be upset that we're up past our curfew."

After Ichigo made her call, the group awkwardly spread out one by one. They mostly were tired from staying up a little past their bedtime, to begin with, but the tension in the air was far too thick for anyone to speak about the confrontation which went astray. So, they silently followed behind each other up the stairs; some arms folded against their pajama-covered chests.

"We stayed up because of him," Zorome mumbled grumpily before his small steps ascended up the stairs as well.

Hiro stood alone.

.

.

.

He slowly sat down on the edge of his bed and leaned over with his elbows against his knees. One hand held onto the front of his head, his fingers slipping through the locks of his black hair and then curling slightly like he was trying to get a handful. Due to the amount of stress he worked up, the intensity of his migraine had increased. Now he could feel his entire skull throbbing harshly like a heartbeat.

 _So much for feeling better, huh?_

Hiro let out a half-hearted chuckle. He was tired and just wanted to sleep for several hours. In fact, he didn't even want to deal with waking up in the middle of the night from his nightly terrors. Hiro didn't even want to wake up early in the morning by the usual knock behind his door. He just... wanted some... relief.

Hiro considered consuming more pills to ensure that his headache would be out of the way by the time he regained consciousness. But with his long life of being on medication to medication, he knew better than to abuse the substance. He'll have to follow whatever the bottle instructed even if it was over-the-counter medication.

With a small grunt, Hiro shrugged his backpack off his shoulders and placed it onto his lap. Then, he unzipped it all the way and stuck his arm inside, already aware where everything inside his bag was. His fingers moved on muscle memory and went to fetch the compartment he always put his pill bottles in, but then they brushed against the outline of something Hiro _didn't_ recognize at all.

That genuinely surprised Hiro since he knew every single thing he carried inside his backpack. The boy smoothly glided his fingers along the surface and the sides of the unknown object. The surface felt padded with leather while its edges were perfectly rounded. After shortly feeling it some more, Hiro could make out the shape of a book.

He pulled it out to confirm his conclusion and shortly found that his guess had been rather close. It wasn't a book, but what appeared to be a thick and black notebook. It looked well-kept, but the wrinkles indented into the cover told him it was used. Maybe even recently since the ribbon page marker was left in the middle of the book.

None of the notebooks he owned were this elegant, therefore, Hiro knew right away this was nothing of his. How did this item end up in his hands then? The only two places his backpack has been are the ice cream parlor and Zero Two's place. Did her personal belonging somehow get accidentally mixed in with his?

Hiro didn't understand how that possibly occurred when she specifically checked his bag before he left. Was it really hers then? Hiro couldn't answer where else it would come from if it wasn't Zero Two's though.

 _...Maybe there's a name on the inside?_

He opened the notebook by its silver clasp and turned the cover over to search for a name possibly written in, but there was nothing but a blank page. His eyes shifted to the first page, but instead of receiving any actual kind of school notes, he was faced with several doodles. It covered the page from top to bottom and it appeared to be drawn by the hands of a child. Despite that, however, the art style was a bit remarkable compared to his own artistic skills back then.

That wasn't to say it was any better now.

Intrigued by this notebook, he flipped to the second page and found more doodles. Then, even more on the next couple ones. Eventually, it led to complete pictures which were all drawn in color pencil. Hiro could tell what the artist liked the most through their art since it consisted mostly of nature and a reoccurring girl in a bright red, princess-like dress.

The little princess was always doing things that seemed fun, but she was always alone. Hiro knew these were only pictures, but he couldn't help but feel sympathetic for the girl. Maybe these drawings reflected the artist's feelings itself? If that's the case, then he would assume the owner of this notebook is a girl.

Even deeper inside the book now, Hiro understood that what he held was far from an ordinary notebook. Can he even call it that with the consistent art? But then, he finally reached the first set of words found inside the notebook which made Hiro sigh internally.

 _Finally._

The notes would surely help get him a step closer to figuring out its owner, right? Hiro normally respected the privacy of others, but since this wasn't about his personal gain, he didn't hesitate to read from the first line of the notes.

 _['I came to see you, but you weren't there. Let's meet up in our spot next time, okay?']_

No... These weren't notes at all, but a series of sentences?

[' _You aren't around when I come in now. I'm sorry...']_

This was... a conversation between two people. It suddenly struck Hiro that this wasn't a notebook, or even an art book, but someone's private journal.

 _['That really does suck, but... You left this behind for me, right? I'll take care of it when you aren't here!'_ ]

Hiro couldn't put a name on the writers behind these exchanges, but he had a good estimation about their ages. Judging by their handwriting skills, the duo behind this ink were small children. The words were unnecessarily bold and wide for one person while the other's were eligible, but hunched together. It was laced with mistakes only a child could make.

 _What could've possibly occurred with these two kids though?_

Maybe this was just an old page and he'll find something useful if he kept lurking? There were several pages still left after all. Hiro flipped to the following one where the series of written messages continued on each page and from the same two people.

 _['I miss you.']_

Flip. Flip.

Their conversation completely intrigued Hiro and not because he was nosy by nature. No, this feeling was far from it. It felt... nostalgic in a sense; like he was forgetting something utterly important that he couldn't remember. Hiro couldn't put his finger on it, or decide why he felt this way, but _something_... something told him he's read these words before.

He's had these conversations before with someone, but he couldn't remember who. That shouldn't be possible though since how would he _not_ remember sharing this conversation?

A secret spot between him and someone else would've been too special to have clumsily forgotten even for his age. Hiro didn't understand his own thoughts and frankly, he was afraid to read more of this; unsure of what it would unlock from within, but he had to. Something urged him to read more, to keep flipping the pages until he understood everything.

Hiro needed to figure this out. Nervously, his eyes darted to the next line:

 _['Me too, but I swear we'll meet again. So, until then will you wait for me, Sakura?']_

That's it.

The handwriting... He knew it was familiar. The slightly italic and hunched together handwriting looked like _his_ from when he was a kid, but what in the world did that mean for him?

He... didn't understand a single thing!

When did he ever have this notebook in his possession? Who could he possibly be talking to? The nostalgia didn't stop just at the words either. He first felt it when he opened the book and saw the drawings. The princess with the long, pink hair that flowed down to her back, the drawings of strange, two-headed white birds, the different colors of the sky, the pink-petaled spring.

 _[I-]_

He closed the journal before he could read any more and quickly placed it aside, his breathing irregular and heavier now. Hiro leaned over with his hands on his knees and his lids squeezed shut. His head was throbbing even harder now and Hiro surmised that to result from getting even more worked up. Or, maybe it was even because he strained his eyes while trying to read with a headache?

He needed to calm down. Hiro still wasn't sure what to think right now and while it was surely just himself overthinking again, he really needed a glass of water to cool his head.

Maybe then... he'll come to a rational explanation for all of his resurfaced feelings. He slid the notebook back into his backpack and then placed his belonging onto the seat of his desk chair. Whoever the journal truly belonged to, it was in a safe place for now.

.

.

.

As opposed to the time Hiro came home, all the rooms downstairs were draped in darkness now except for the dim lights coming from the kitchen. Much to his surprise, this indicated that someone was still awake. All of them were careful about their curfew since their father worked late hours every day and didn't come home until 1 o'clock AM. If any of them were still awake by the time Papa returned home, they would be in serious trouble. The clock was cutting close to midnight too.

Hiro crept down the last steps of the stairs, made a turn towards the only source of light downstairs, and was a little baffled by who he saw inside the kitchen. Out of all his guesses, Hiro wouldn't have suspected to find Ichigo still up and about. She was the most serious about Papa's rules and always made certain that everyone was on top of them too. So, to see her diligently wiping the countertop clean with a disinfectant wipe at this hour was odd.

Something must be wrong?

Hiro closed the distance between them more and that seemed to be enough for Ichigo to notice him finally. Her hand abruptly stopped in its circular motions and she turned her head to the side, brushing her falling bangs over her ear to see him better. Hiro concluded that she must've gotten ready for bed, but then hopped out since Ichigo always removed her hairclip before she went to sleep. Was she also feeling restless then?

"Oh, Hiro," Ichigo dragged out a relieved sigh, "It's just you. I... I thought you went up to your room to sleep?"

Hiro felt bad for startling her, but he didn't mention it and went straight to her question instead.

"Yeah. I just came down for a glass of water since I was feeling thirsty."

That wasn't the entire reason, but it wasn't a sin to not tell her every bit of detail. He would rather not worry his sister since he knew how much of a worrywart Ichigo can be.

"Oh. Well, you should have more than just that. We saved you some leftovers from dinner. They're in the fridge," Ichigo said with her lips curved into a smile, using her thumb to point to the running refrigerator behind them.

"Oh, you didn't have to. I ate dinner at Zero Two's place," Hiro reassured her, unaware that it would cause his sister to quickly deflate into a frown.

He didn't want to think there really was a sensitivity to the mention of Zero Two's name in his own house.

"I see. Well, it's good that she takes care of you well."

Ichigo picked up her wipe and continued where she left off. When her long bangs fell loosely over her face again, she didn't brush them back this time.

"Take care of me?"

Hiro never thought of his and Zero Two's relationship like that, but her actions today proved she could fully do so.

"...I think it's more that we take care of each other," he spoke as a warmth rekindled from within his heart and expanded throughout his body.

It was the same magical sensation he would always feel whenever he thought of Zero Two, or when anyone else would say her name to him. She was the only person who did that to him and he had a few guesses why. True to what was told, there was a warm smile curving onto his face right now at the mere thought of her.

"I'm really grateful for Zero Two. I believe she's the greatest influence in my life right now."

Ichigo began to wipe the countertop a tad harder and quicker from before.

"I see..." The other replied, her tone recognizable to the one she'll often take whenever Ichigo wanted to say more about a matter but was holding herself back.

With a dragged out and heavy sigh, her working arm came to a slow stop as she leaned her weight into the table. Ichigo didn't look back up at him, however.

"If that's the case, then I'm really happy you met Zero Two. You smile and laugh more frequently because of her, and I've never seen you step outside to the rest of the world as many times as you do now. I'm really thankful for Zero Two because of all those things."

Hiro grinned proudly at her, "Ichigo, you've changed."

"Huh?" Ichigo looked up at him dumbfoundedly, clearly caught off-guard by this statement, "How so?"

"I mean I'm only making an observation. Your perspective on Zero Two has changed tremendously. Thank you, Ichigo."

"Oh," Ichigo lowered her gaze back to the countertop which was more than disinfected by now, "It's no problem. I'm just telling the truth, aren't I?"

She took a short pause.

"And also..."

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry for how Mitsuru acted with you back there. I don't believe that was the appropriate way to handle his feelings," Ichigo apologized sincerely.

At the mention of Mitsuru, Hiro felt his good mood slowly returning to what it once was. That's right. He said those things about Zero Two which were uncalled for. Although, he didn't wish to discuss it right now.

"It's whatever. I know how Mitsuru is, so I'll ignor-"

"But I don't think he was wrong about his point," she quickly and sharply interjected. As soon as the words were out there, Ichigo felt her chest tighten up.

She knew she couldn't take her words back, she'll have to go through with them now. But as much as the confrontation made her uneasy, Ichigo felt she needed to speak for everyone instead of letting their feelings fall mute.

"What?" Hiro asked with his eyes widened, taken aback by her words.

Ichigo's fingers curled firmly around the wet wipe.

"You've been running out to see her practically every day. Tonight, you spent the entire day with her despite telling us you'll be home by dinner time. What are we to think if you don't do as you say, or even make an attempt to contact us?"

Out of frustration, she let go of the wipe and threw it across the counter without a care for where it landed. "You never disobeyed the rules, or skipped out on a school until you met her!"

Hiro didn't understand the nature of Ichigo's words, but judging by how the confrontation with Mitsuru just went, he was certain this was about to lead up towards another verbal attack. He was quick to become defensive and his need to protect Zero Two before himself kicked in.

"So, what do you want me to do? Stop seeing Zero Two?" Hiro asked, trying his best to keep his frustration under wraps. However, his efforts were futile since his feelings couldn't be any more present in his current tone.

Ichigo could hear the other's defensiveness but suspected her brother would respond this way. If she wanted to look after her family properly, she'd have to ignore Hiro's emotions for once as bad as that sounded. She'll have to push until he _understood_.

"No. That's not what I'm saying here, I..." She took a deep breath as if to work up the strength for this next part and pushed her petite chest out. Her usually soft, green eyes locked hardly with Hiro's agitated, narrowed ones.

"...For these past months, it's felt to all of us that you're putting someone you only just met a few months ago before your entire family."

 _There! It's out there now. Just keep going, Ichigo. Just kee-_

"We always do our hardest to reach out to you, but we receive nothing in return. I've always been patient with you, Hiro. But... It's plain to see that you're more stressed out than usual lately. I initially put it aside because of Zero Two's situation, but she's discharged and you're still being distant from us. Half of the time you... You look like you want to cry and say so many things whenever I look at you."

For a split second, Ichigo's voice cracked and her bottom lip started to quiver, but she bit down on it to compensate for her weakness. She needed to finish her thoughts. After all, it wasn't just her heart she was speaking out from.

"When you smile at us, I know it isn't genuine," she shakily continued and her shoulders soon followed, " _Why_ do you keep your feelings to yourself? Why do you always suffer alone?! We're here for you too, you know! We always have! Anything Zero Two can do for you, we can too. That's why we're family, aren't we?!"

"Ichigo..." He said in disbelief.

Every inch of Hiro's ire completely fled his body and his expression now wavered between shocked and sorrowful.

This was his first time hearing such a thing from any of them. The fact that every one of them held this deep inside their hearts until now hit Hiro hard. He was speechless and felt pathetic. This was a mess he caused because of his own stupidity, therefore, this was his responsibility to fix.

He finally understood now. _This_ was what Mitsuru meant by his words, but he'd been too hot-headed to even let his brother's own feelings reach him. God, he truly is an idiot.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo. ...To all of you, in fact," Hiro replied with a heavy sigh and lowered his head in shame. He turned around so he could lean his weight against the counter, raising one hand to his forehead in thought. "I've been a horrible brother, haven't I?"

Ichigo sniffed softly, trying to hold back the tears heavy between her lashes. Luckily, they didn't fall for the sake of her own pride, but Hiro already knew about the sensitive girl underneath the rock-hard mask. He always silently appreciated how much better she was with her emotions compared to himself.

He was so weak.

"Yeah," she confirmed in a weak voice which made Hiro stare at her for a few seconds. Then, as if they were both in on an inside joke, they both erupted into a small, but meaningful fit of faint laughter.

"You didn't have to confirm it," Hiro responded jokingly as he nudged her arm in a playful manner which Ichigo kindly reciprocated. No, he was fully aware of how much he deserved to hear that.

He's an asshole, but he only wanted to hear the truth from now since it would motivate him to treat the only people closest to him better. It was the same promise he made with Zero Two: to be honest with one another. If he could establish something like that with her, he could do the same with his own family.

"From now on, I want you guys to be completely honest with me no matter how you think I'll respond. I'm an idiot, so I'll probably won't get it the first time," Hiro stated as he cracked half a smile.

"True. You've always been the biggest idiot I know," Ichigo humored him and shared a playful smile with him. She brought her hand to one eye at a time, wiping away her tear-filled jades.

More laughter simultaneously left their mouths. They probably had a strange sense of humor to laugh at such an inappropriate time, but this went to show how comfortable they were with one another. Eventually, their laughter died into a harmonious silence as they were soon left with their own thoughts. Ichigo mimicked Hiro's posture, leaning into the counter so that both their backs faced the entrance to the kitchen.

"...To be honest, I'm not sure what's been going on with myself lately either. I wish I could give you guys a clear answer, but it's difficult to."

Ichigo turned her head towards Hiro and raised a brow questionably, "What does that mean?"

"I don't know, but I promise that when I get everything sorted out, I'll sit down and tell you all about it. No more secrets, okay?"

"Pinky promise me."

Hiro stared at the pinky finger Ichigo pointed out towards him before he let out a chuckle.

"Really now? Are we still children?" He shook his head lightly at her childishness, but he held back any further comments when his eyes met with her threatening glare.

"Fine, fine." Hiro hooked his pinky finger around hers, then pulled on their interlocked fingers snugly, "I pinky promise to talk to you and everyone else truthfully for now on."

Ichigo's hardened expression slowly eased into contentment until she was smiling at him again.

"Good. Now you're forbidden from breaking it," she warned, tugging on his pinky back.

Comically, Hiro wondered to himself what would happen in the unlikely instance he went back on his promise. However, his mind went back to the threat Zero Two made when he rejected her dinner and he decided it might be better not knowing.

"You wanted a glass of water, right? Go ahead, I won't hold you up anymore."

 _Oh, right._

He'd almost forgotten what he initially came for. Hiro moved from his spot and opened the cabinet that held all their glassware, then took a short one from the bottom shelf. He then made his way over to the refrigerator and turned the water dispenser on. As he watched the ice-cold water fill the glass up in his hand, Hiro's mind drifted someplace else.

"Hey, Ichi. Can I ask you a really weird question?"

At the thought of Hiro possibly leaning onto her for advice, her posture perked up and her eyes lit up in readiness. Even though Ichigo was young, she still wanted to be taken seriously and leaned on more often in and outside of her family.

"Sure. Bring it on."

Now that he put himself on the spot, Hiro felt nervous about asking Ichigo the question he had in mind, but he knew he wouldn't have a peace of mind if he didn't.

"...Does the word 'darling' mean anything to you?"

This question understandably put Ichigo off. Out of everything she expected the other to ask her about, it wasn't quite that.

"Darling?" Ichigo repeated as if the word was foreign to her, but really, she was just taken aback. She looked at Hiro again who confirmed she'd heard right with a small nod.

"Well, I know it's a term of endearment people call their significant other. I'm sure it can be familial too, but that's all, I guess? Why would you ask that?"

 _Significant other... Familial..._

"I don't know. I just heard the word recently and I can't get it out of my head for some reason."

Hiro already knew _what_ the word meant, but the dilemma was that he couldn't connect it to his dreams in any way. It felt like the largest clue he's been given so far and yet he couldn't figure it out.

"Oh, really? Did Zero Two call you that?" Ichigo teased him while maintaining her casual voice, eliminating any hint she was only playing with him.

"Huh? No, she didn't! That's not why I asked. It came from someone else actually," Hiro denied, awkwardly scratching his cheek to suppress his increasing nerves.

It was an old habit of his that made Ichigo smile softly when she noticed.

"Hm? Well, you've had a lot of admirers growing up. I'm sure one of them called you something affectionate at some point."

Ichigo moved around the kitchen island to pick up the discarded wipe she carelessly threw earlier, making sure it entered the trash bin. Hiro raised the brim of his glass to his lips and took a short sip. He no longer had the desire for the drink, but the coolness of the water running down his throat helped him think.

"No... That's not it either. I'm sure I would remember something like that," Hiro actually couldn't confirm that, but it didn't sit right with him. It didn't _feel_ like the right answer.

There couldn't be any familial or romantic relationship connected to the mysterious little girl in his dreams. He remembered all the relationships he's had with people and none of them were romantic. There weren't any blood-related family members of his who were alive either.

Meanwhile, Ichigo didn't understand why this was an issue in the first place, but she could tell this was important to Hiro judging by the distress in his eyes. Wanting to lessen the weight on his shoulders, she did her best to come up with answers for Hiro.

"I don't know. There's also that girl you met at the hospital a long time ago. I don't know many of the people you've met."

 _...Huh?_

Hiro completely froze up and the brim of his cup never met his lips again. His entire world stopped spinning and the cogs in his brain ceased all motion. It took a moment for Hiro to even process what he just heard, or believed her heard from Ichigo's mouth.

"Wait, what? What girl, Ichigo?"

"Huh?" His sister looked up at him as if she was dismayed that he didn't remember, "You know. _That_ girl. The one you met at the hospital and would talk about all the time. But one day, you stopped mentioning her entirely, so it was more of your little secret."

Hiro's eyes enlarged in shock and his face became blank, unable to register the information coming from Ichigo's lips fast enough to react.

 _What the hell? Why didn't he remember any of this?!_ _This was something he should remember vividly; not Ichigo. So, why didn't he?!_

"Her name! Tell me her name, please!" Hiro exclaimed suddenly and slammed the cup down onto the counter.

His unexpected reaction caused Ichigo to jump slightly in place.

"W-What?! I can't remember that far back!" she protested reasonably.

Ichigo's never seen Hiro get so riled up about something before, so this was all a genuine surprise to her. However, the girl was unaware of how much she's helped lead Hiro onto the right path with just a few sentences. Hiro was so close to solving the mystery that kept him awake every night.

Yet the fact that Ichigo couldn't recall this girl's name put him right back where he started. He had confirmation there's a possibility he's met the little girl before, but she still had a blank face inside his head and remained unnamed. Ichigo watched Hiro's face fall in defeat and seeing that look on his face pained her. She wanted to help so badly and if there was something she could do to lessen the burden, then Ichigo would try it.

With a soft sigh falling from her lips, Ichigo tried her best to recollect the rest of her memories from that time.

"But I'll try. Let's see, uh... Was it Sara-? Sayu-? ...Saku-?"

"Sakura," Hiro finished for her. Not as a suggestion, but with certainty this was the correct answer.

"Huh? Oh, yeah... That sounds right," Ichigo slowly nodded her head as it all came back to her, then smiled at Hiro. "Looks like you kept your memory after all."

 _Sakura._

Sakura... is the name of the girl in that journal. She's also the name of the girl from his dreams; he felt it inside his heart. They're the same person. Sakura wasn't a figment of his imagination, but a real person he's had a bond with in the past.

Someone he didn't previously remember, but now the answers were rushing into his mind with no halt. It was as if the lock to a door inside his brain finally unlatched after all this time. All of his mentally suppressed memories resurfaced at the top of his brain and flooded his head with a flurry of information.

He held onto his head in pain with one hand and gripped the edge of the countertop with the other, unable to hold himself up otherwise. It hurt, but he needed to do this. He had to keep looking no matter what.

Blurred mages that were previously scraps of nothing turned into something meaningful. They turned into... full pictures. Soft, long and pink hair. A beautiful smile, dazzling emerald eyes behind long lashes. Limbs covered in faint bruises.

For the first time, he had a face to match with the girl in his dreams.

At long last, he finally had his answer and he... He needed to see-

"...Zero Two," Hiro mumbled aloud.

"Hiro?!"

Ichigo's voice resurfaced from the white noise inside his head and he finally registered her touch against his arm. He hadn't meant to tune her out, and Hiro knew he would have to explain this all to her, but now wasn't the time. He couldn't stick around here for much longer.

Now that he's remembered the things his mind had blocked out for several years, he needed to move. He couldn't let Zero Two feel all alone any longer.

He needed to see her.

With his heart drumming inside his chest wildly, Hiro forced his feet towards the door in a haste. He didn't stop to think rationally about what he was about to do since his emotions were deciding everything for him.

"W-Wait! Where are you going, Hiro?!" Ichigo exclaimed, completely in the dark about what just unfolded before her.

She instantly followed behind Hiro's steps, but it was hard for Ichigo to match his speed with her short height. Therefore, the girl was already left behind by time Hiro crossed the living room and made it to the front door. Hiro had no qualms about the situation either since he preferred for Ichigo not to follow him.

Ichigo probably didn't know it, but she's already helped him tremendously by uncovering the major piece to this puzzle. The rest of this matter was between Zero Two and himself now.

"I'll be back, Ichigo! Thank you!"

"Huh?!" Ichigo breathlessly replied, but her only response was the sound of the bottom of Hiro's shoes rapidly stepping down the front stairway.

He was already out the door, headed to a place she was completely clueless about. Hiro planned to explain everything once he returned, but as of now, he felt like he had no time to waste.

Hopefully, his heart was leading him down the right path.

* * *

 **March 2, 2028**

 **12:10 AM**

He could feel his heart throbbing in his chest and it felt ready to pop out at any second. His body's perspiration broke out across his forehead, slicking certain strands of his black hair flat against it. His feet ached and screamed, but he forced them to maintain their vigorous pace.

Hiro inhaled and exhaled heavily and erratically, his body unaware of the meaning of 'stop'. Inside his head, he was mentally tracing the pathway back to Zero Two's place. Hiro was thankful he stayed awake the entire car ride home since he was able to recall the roads Shou went down. However, not by their names, but by their appearance.

Fortunately, Milstilteinn had many parts of itself that looked different from one another and Hiro was very familiar with the roads since he walked around the city often.

He knew wasn't too far, so he couldn't stop now. No matter what the distance between him and Zero Two was, he'll still cross it to see her.

His chest felt heavy, and it felt like the surrounding air was beginning to suffocate his lungs, but Hiro didn't slow down in his pacer. The muscles in his legs were becoming sore and cried out with every step he made, but he continued to push them. He continued to exert them pass their limit.

His choice wasn't wise and Hiro acknowledged that.

He was probably the biggest idiot on Earth for running through the city at this time of night. He was only assuming that Zero Two would still be on the other side of the door once he made it to her place. Hiro also knew of the risks he was making by his actions, but it didn't feel wrong. None of what he was doing felt wrong to him in the slightest.

If anything, Hiro has never felt so right about something in the longest. Hopefully, Zero Two will feel the same.

His head pounded severely, but it carried thoughts of her. Even now, vaguely familiar memories were flashing through his mind that all pertained to him- No, not him, but _them_.

He's always had someone else. He was never alone.

She was always there too, and he repaid her by forgetting her. There was nothing Hiro could do to atone for his mistake, but attempt to make amends with Zero Two now.

Hiro turned left on a familiar intersection and eventually, he could see the top of her large, white mansion from just down the road. It stood pridefully tall from the smaller neighboring houses and had an elegant architecture that the others lacked.

He finally slowed his feet down, but he didn't use that opportunity to catch his breath. His mind was still set on his goal, so Hiro went straight towards the front gates to the fence. It was black and went around the entire house to most likely protect themselves from unwelcomed guests. It was possible he was one of them considering what time it was.

Hiro remembered that the gates needed to be open in order to leave, so logically, it was the same to enter. It was easy to spot the intercom since it was right beside the front entrance, on its own platform. With his chest heaving up and down in large takes, Hiro pressed his finger against the buzzer to alert someone of his presence.

The yellow light that bled through the downstairs and upstairs curtains kept Hiro's hopes alive that someone was awake.

After three minutes, a voice that belonged to an older woman came from the other side of the intercom. There was no live footage from his side, but the camera pointed straight at him told Hiro he could be seen from her side.

"Who is it?" The voice asked politely.

"It's me! The boy from earlier: Hiro. I'm Zero Two's friend, I need to speak to her urgently! Please!" Hiro rushed out all at once, completely breathless but too anxious to possibly calm down.

He was losing the ability to stand up on his own due to how much his legs burned and trembled, so he rested a hand against the fence to keep himself upright.

"Ah, Hiro. Did you leave something behind? I'll open the gate right away. Hold on, dear."

With only a small delay, the gates started slowly invited him inside, but Hiro didn't want for them to open fully on their own. He squeezed himself through the slit once it appeared big enough to and quickly crossed the path from the front entrance to the front of the mansion. At first, Hiro ran fast as his body still could, but the closer he came to his destination, the more his feet abated in speed.

The front door was already halfway opened and from behind it stepped a woman clothed in a grey dress that stopped past her knees with a white apron tied snugly around her waist. Hiro assumed it was the same lady who'd buzzed him in. Sawako initially had a friendly smile on her face, but once she observed Hiro's condition at this proximity, the wrinkles on her face stretched themselves into a concerned frown.

"Oh my. Let me get you some water, dear," she said, taking a step back to hold the door open even wider. This was to allow Hiro more room to walk inside the warm and toasty house.

Hiro pictured that he looked like a maniac right now. The sweat from his forehead rolled down to his cheeks now, his shirt clung to his skin grossly, and he could barely catch his breath. Moreover, he probably smelled unpleasant too, but none of these were Hiro's main concerns.

"I need to speak with Zero Two first. Where is she? Please tell me where she is," he asked once he was inside and Sawako closed the door behind him.

He needed water for sure, but he didn't want it right now.

"Oh? Young mistress is in the kitchen," Sawako answered Hiro's question, pointing down the hall that would lead to the kitchen with one finger.

"Thank you!" Hiro immediately spat out and didn't waste another moment to take Sawako's directions.

It was possibly rude to run out abruptly on the person who invited him inside, but he couldn't think of anything except Zero Two right now. His eyes searched for the discernible head of long, gorgeous pink hair. He searched for her delicate cream-white complexion and her beautiful, sea-green eyes. Thinking of all her smiles made a warmth radiate from within his chest which Hiro knew wasn't just his blood rushing upwards from adrenaline.

He wanted... to see her so badly.

The sound of running water in the nearby distance caught his attention and Hiro followed the noise, assuming it would lead to the kitchen. Once Hiro found that his instincts were right, and he looked into the kitchen, he felt his next breath get trapped inside his lungs.

There she was.

Hiro was only faced with her back profile since she stood in front of the sink. There was a woman who stood hip-to-hip with Zero Two, dark brown hair tied up into a high and neat bun. They both had their sleeves rolled up to their elbows, so he assumed they were in the middle of helping out with the dishes.

Briefly, Hiro's brain made a comparison of Zero Two's backside to the one he regularly saw in his dreams.

 _They're definitely the same..._

"I'll go put these up," Hiro heard Zero Two say to the lady beside her, a stack of four beautifully decorated china plates in her hands.

The girl turned on her sock-protected feet, but when their eyes unexpectantly met, she froze up and so did he. Her jaw fell open and her face became white in shock.

"H-Hiro? What are you...?"

His name raised the attention of the woman beside her, but Hiro paid no mind to her. His only focus was Zero Two, but even though that was the case, everything he planned to say to her flew out his head right then.

This left plenty of room for his usual doubts to enter in their stead.

 _What if Zero Two doesn't remember? What if I make a fool out of myself?_

 _What if she's not even the right person, and he's only made himself believe Zero Two's the one-_

But that wasn't any reason to back down from this. He ran all the way here, spent so many nights trying to figure this puzzle out, and now the key to everything stood right before him. Hiro only had one question that would put all of this confusion and pain to rest for good.

"Zero Two."

She said nothing back, so he took a deep breath to prepare himself for his next words.

"Is your name... Sakura?"

And just like that, everything collapsed.

Zero Two accidentally lost grip of the plates she was carrying and they shattered into large shards of glass when they impacted with the ground harshly, but neither of them cared. They only continued to stare at each other which felt like forever.

Zero Two still had her arms angled as if plates never fell from her hands and Hiro could only wait on the edge of his seat for her response. But after a couple seconds more, Hiro's eyes went wide.

Tears came forth and ran down Zero Two's face.


	11. The Winter We Met

**November 3, 2021**  
 **4:01 PM**

"See you next Saturday, Hiro," His therapist said to him.

She was a tall woman who wore casual clothes such as cardigans with a plain, solid-colored shirt. The woman always had her black hair pinned up into a neat bun, but she didn't quite have a face. Or rather, he never remembered it by the time he left her office.

He didn't like a single thing about therapy. He disliked the stiff couch, the uncomfortable coldness of the room, as well as the feeling of attention. Every time he walked inside, Hiro remembered what he was there for and it made him want to vomit and sob.

Four years have passed since he lost his parents in the incident, but the memory still haunted him. He relived the terrors whenever he closed his eyes and coming to the clinic every weekend didn't help Hiro with his insomnia.

He left the dreaded room in complete silence with his back turned to his therapist. A caregiver by the name of Erina accompanied him to his appointment today and worked at the orphanage he was brought into at seven-years-old. She offered her hand out to Hiro for him to take, but Hiro didn't accept it and embraced himself instead. Slowly, they left the room and returned to the lobby of the children's hospital.

As always, there was someone to occupy almost every seat situated against the wall. The sight made Hiro feel nervous and suffocated like the air in the room was thin, but he always did his best to ignore them. There were other children sticking to themselves too. Erina often pushed him to interact with others his age—especially with children from his orphanage—but conversations with him always lasted shortly.

He never liked talking about what's on his mind anymore. He felt alone and as if nobody could understand his pain, therefore, Hiro saw no use in speaking about his emotions. He didn't want to confront his issues, but neither did they leave him alone. Unsure of what to do with his pent-up frustration, Hiro just kept it all to himself.

"Wait here while I do some grown-up stuff real quick. Can you do that for me, please?" Erina asked him gently with a kind smile on her face.

Hiro nodded his head wordlessly and went to take a seat in one of the mesh chairs. When he turned his head, he saw Erina speaking to the woman behind the check-out desk while signing some documents with a pen. With a low sigh, Hiro suddenly stepped down from his chair and walked towards the little brown bookcase pressed against the opposite wall.

It had an assortment of books ranging from children's books to adult ones.

Although Hiro was young, he's always preferred the 'mature' ones since he was six-years-old. Hiro found them much more fascinating because of their informativeness and ability to educate him about things his teachers didn't. He was always curious about the world and, according to his deceased mother, he seemed to never stop thinking. Hiro moved onto his knees and looked for his favorite book which he was able to easily pick out from the rest.

It was the thickest amongst the others and had the word 'encyclopedia' inscribed into it. Soon enough, Hiro found it nestled in between 'The Little Mermaid' and a book full of old nursery rhymes. The book came out of the tight space smoothly. It was a little heavy in his hands, but nothing Hiro couldn't handle since he always read it on his lap, anyway.

Hiro stood up and opened the encyclopedia to the last place he stopped. This was easy to find since he always folded the edge of the paper he last read. As he stood back up onto his feet, he began to multi-task by walking back to his seat and reading at the same time.

Unfortunately, that was a clumsy mistake since Hiro lost sense of his surroundings and didn't realize this until he felt himself collide with another person. The book accidentally slipped from his hands and landed between him and the other person's feet loudly.

"S-Sorry!" Hiro sputtered quickly, instantly forgetting about his book and looking at the person he'd just bumped into.

As his eyes focused on the person, he noticed it was a girl who appeared to be around his age, or maybe even a year younger since she was two inches shorter than him. He was only ten-years-old, and she didn't look much older than him. Maybe she was nine or eight herself?

Hiro thought she was rather pretty too despite her pale complexion and meek look. Her hair was a pretty pink like the cherry blossoms in his book, but he couldn't say anything about her face yet. That was because she hung her head low and turned it the other way, making it difficult for their eyes to meet.

Was she shy?

The commotion they unintentionally made brought some curious eyes onto them, but once the adults realized they were only children acting in the way they expected them to, they soon looked away and returned to their own business.

"Are you okay?" He asked, but much to his own awkwardness, he only received silence from the other. This led Hiro to assume she felt annoyed with him.

Quietly, he leaned down and picked up his fallen back, then protectively held it at his side with his hand and arm. Hiro continued to look at the girl curiously. She had on the traditional hospital gown for patients at this hospital, so it was clear to Hiro she was under inpatient care.

Whereas, he was the opposite by being under outpatient care instead. He only came here on the weekend for his therapy sessions which would last up to two restless hours.

She was silent and didn't seem to take any interest in him or his apology. Instead, she walked past him and searched the floor with her eyes. Expecting to see something she did, Hiro looked down at the floor as well, but found nothing in particular. The floor was completely clear. The large, blue mat was by the bookcase and the purified water dispenser was in the corner of the room as usual.

"Oh, I get it. Are you looking for something?" Hiro asked, perking up over possibly solving something so easy.

However, the girl didn't soothe his pride. Instead, she silently continued to search for whatever she was looking for. The girl walked over to one of the seated adults who was reading a fashion magazine and got onto her knees, bending over to peek beneath the row of chairs.

Hiro thought it was a bit rude and disruptive of her to do this, but he kept that opinion to himself. He wanted to shrug off her strange behavior, sit back in his seat and indulge in his favorite book like normal. He was the best at ignoring everyone from the time he woke up to the time he dreaded going to bed.

However, something pushed him to step out of his routine this one time. Why? It was because she struck him as someone different.

A lot of the children back in his orphanage ignored him and thought he was weird. Hiro was fine with that, or at least that's what he told himself. What this girl was doing now wasn't much different from how those treated him back home, but… This didn't feel like it was for the same circumstance.

Something about her pulled Hiro in right away.

"If you tell me what you're looking for, I can help!" Hiro offered, trying to keep the volume of his voice under control lest he become a disturbance to the guests surrounding them.

Even if Hiro tried to ignore her, he wouldn't be able to help _but_ notice her with the attention she was bringing to herself by snooping around everywhere. The boy followed after her before she could get too far from him. Fortunately, she stayed within the lobby.

"Uhm… Hello? Did you hear me?" Hiro asked, feeling even more awkward now with her lack of response.

He'll feel like an idiot if she did, and he only ended up repeating himself, but in the event that she hadn't, he didn't want her to miss out on a helping hand. It was possible she didn't need it. After all, she didn't look helpless; just silent and alone. She sorta reminded Hiro of himself.

Finally, the girl turned to him and showed her face to Hiro who felt taken aback by the sight. Not only because the boy felt shocked that she finally acknowledged him, but because of something much more embarrassing to admit aloud. His face heated up as a light pink hue ran across his cheeks.

This girl was beautiful.

He's met many children her age and even grown adults who have already bloomed, but nobody has ever immediately smitten him like this. Hiro knew for a certainty he's never been face-to-face with someone of her beauty. Her eyes were a beautiful emerald and her face had a cute shape.

Hiro couldn't remember a time he's ever felt flustered over something or _someone_ , so he was totally clueless about how he should react to the foreign emotion.

Why was someone so beautiful at a horrible place like this? Hiro couldn't possibly fathom why. Once he looked past her beauty, the boy noticed how blank her face was. However, she wasn't expressionless. There was an emotion present, but he couldn't tell what exactly it was yet.

Needless to say, Hiro believed she was about to tell him to go away and to stop bothering her. He would understand that since she didn't ask for his help, he just placed himself into her business.

Right, he was an idiot for assuming she needed him to start with, wasn't he?

Hiro waited for the other to speak, but he noticed she wasn't looking him in the eyes anymore. Her eyes were fixated on the bright crimson, red scarf wrapped firmly around his neck for a very long time. His scarf? Self-consciously, his fingers curled around the inside and gave it a small tug to loosen up the fit. Then, the realization suddenly hit him.

His _scarf!_

"Wait, is _this_ what you're looking for? You dropped your scarf somewhere around here, didn't you?"

She didn't answer him verbally, but she responded by shyly looking away again. Hiro knew he had to be right by how telling her reaction was. Finally, he was a step closer to solving this little mystery!

"But…" His excitement dropped all of a sudden, "I don't recall seeing a scarf anywhere around here. It must be in a different part of the hospital."

Hiro looked back at Erina to see her still caught up in some paperwork. Usually, she didn't take this long to finish things up, but apparently, things would take a while to wrap up. That meant he had some time to help the other with her dilemma.

"Hmm, okay. Where was the last place you saw your scarf?" Hiro asked, hoping she would use her voice at this point to make things easier on him.

However, her lips didn't move a single inch. The girl looked at him for a while, but then she averted her gaze before silently shrugging her shoulders.

"You don't know, huh?" Hiro said with his hand raised to his chin in thought. Already, he was learning to decipher the other's unique muteness.

While her lack of verbal help would've discouraged anyone else, Hiro wasn't put off by it. He had an endless amount of patience and hard situations motivated him to solve them even more. The boy genuinely liked any situation he had to use his brain since that was his best skill.

"Hmm…" Hiro closed his eyes as he thought of all the possibilities.

The hospital was a big place and since he didn't know where all she's been, it would be nearly impossible to find it in such a short time. It was even likely that someone has picked it up already and brought it who knows where.

Hiro's lids reopened and saw the saddened glint in her eyes. She looked defeated which made his heart pang in a discomforting way. He didn't know the girl very well, but he couldn't stand to see that look on her face. He wanted to help in some kind of way. That's a drive he hasn't felt in quite some time.

Even though his personality has largely changed over the years, Hiro was still the same mindful and selfless person down to the core.

The girl hugged herself which appeared to be for comfort, arms folded and pressed against her chest firmly. As Hiro silently looked her up and down, a few concerns rose to his mind. They were currently in the middle of winter, so wasn't she cold in that? The gown didn't hug her legs nor her arms. Why wasn't she in a pair of pants instead?

As his turquoise eyes continued to analyze her, he noticed a blemish near her ankle he hadn't seen before. His hand slowly fell from his chin and his eyes widened with attention, his foot taking a step closer to look at the strange discoloration. It was a harsh contrast from her pale white skin since it took on a dark purple color.

Was it a nasty bruise? And how did she get it?

But when Hiro took a step forward, the girl took two steps back in recoil.

 _Huh?_

At first, her conflicting behavior took the boy aback, but then he observed her body language. The girl had her elbows drawn to her sides and her dainty fingers clenched into small fists, hands raised to her chest in a protective position. But she didn't look afraid. She bared her teeth at him and there was a raging fire in her eyes which told Hiro she would bite back if necessary.

But he wasn't a threat to her? ...Crap, she must have the wrong idea about him!

"Oh, no! I'm not gonna hurt you," Hiro quickly piped up, shaking his hand in defense. He took a considerate step back to where he once stood to allow the other her personal space. "I just wanted to…"

His eyes slowly dropped back to her ankle, trying to get another look at the blemish he saw. However, as if self-consciously, she turned her body at an angle which concealed the bruise from his viewpoint. It was apparent she was uncomfortable with him seeing it.

"...Nevermind," Hiro sighed and shook his head lightly, before dropping his arm back to his side.

He let the matter go since his curiosity in her marks wasn't that big of a deal. Finding her missing scarf was his main priority right now.

"Anyway, let's hurry and find your scar-"

"Hiro, I'm done. Let's head home," Erina's voice suddenly rang through, causing his current good spirits to die with his disappointment. He didn't want to leave so soon which was significantly a first for him.

The boy felt a little distressed at the thought of leaving the girl without putting this situation to rest. If she ended up never recovering her scarf, she'll be even colder in her room, wouldn't she? Plus, if she was like this around all strangers, it was least likely she would ask people to help her out.

"Uhh…" The boy uttered, eyes dodging between his caretaker's confused expression and the shorter girl's skeptical one.

 _Think, Hiro. Think…_

"I know!" Hiro exclaimed once his solution came to him. He unraveled his own scarf from around his neck and held it in his hands with care.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you," He said in a soft tone as he took a cautious step towards her. He needed to fill the space between them to accomplish the idea he had in mind.

But as expected, the girl's shoulders tensed up stiffly, her brows furrowed at him, and she snarled at him like a baby animal merely trying to protect her own life. Hopefully, she would stand still enough for him to do this. Since he was a little taller than her, Hiro figured he must look even more intimidating in her eyes.

"Shh," Hiro shushed her placidly and raised his arms a couple inches above her head. If she wanted to attack him, then now would be the time to, but much to his own relief, she didn't move a muscle.

Was she more scared than defensive?

He dropped the thick scarf onto her shoulders and when they met, Hiro witnessed her ferocious expression soften in surprise. This made the boy crack a smile. Since it appeared she would stay still, he didn't worry about getting the scarf on her properly now. Hiro began to wrap it around her neck, doing a few loops until it looked tidy. His scarf was warm and thick, so it should be kind to her during this time of the year.

This happened to be the only scarf he used annually, but Hiro had no worries about getting a replacement. Genuinely, he wasn't even thinking of himself.

"Yup. Just as I thought; it looks perfect on you," Hiro stated with a proud smile sitting on his face. It's been a while since he's made an expression like that.

"Hiro?"

By the second time Erina called for him, Hiro knew he was cutting short on time. How should he part with her?

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave now. I hope my scarf keeps you warm! Goodbye!" He said as he ran away from her as he waved. He returned the unread encyclopedia back onto the bookshelf, then jogged over to Erina whom patiently waited for him the entire time.

"Did you make a friend?" His caretaker asked Hiro as she looked down at him with her olive green irises. Her lips which were pampered with red lipstick tugged into a proud smile.

"No. Just someone… I ran into by chance," He replied as he neared the automatic doors alongside his caretaker.

Before he exited the hospital for good, Hiro looked behind his shoulder. The girl had his scarf raised to her nose to smell it.

* * *

 **November 17, 2021**  
 **3:05 PM**

Another visit; another headache.

He was tired of these sessions. They were pointless and didn't help make his day-to-day hardships easier. He came into his appointment past noon as usual, but a different caretaker brought him in this time. The more he went to these sessions, the more suffocated and mentally violated he felt. The adults said this was good for his health, but he never felt better whenever he left.

Only worst.

So this time, while his caretaker was busy signing him onto the waiting list, Hiro stepped down from his usual seat against the wall and made a run for it. He didn't know where he was headed, but he trusted his feet to take him somewhere far away from adults. Anywhere would suffice as long as he was alone.

He took a turn and realized there were still too many people coming up and down the hall. It was mostly nurses and doctors, but he was smart enough to know they would alert someone if they found him running around the hospital freely like this. Even now he could hear the approaching loud clicks of someone's high heels from around the corner.

Frantically, Hiro looked for an escape and that's when he noticed the steel door to his right.

Assuming it would lead to a separate part of the building, Hiro pushed against the metal push bar handle and slowly forced it open with a noisy creak. The boy slipped through the slit he made and was happy to see that the space appeared to be empty.

He leaned up against the wall, feeling his heartbeat drum in his chest from the ambitiousness of his action. He felt anxious over the thought of being caught by someone, but then Hiro decided he should just enjoy his peace for however long he had it.

No one should've seen him come inside, so it was safe. Right?

Hiro let out a relieved sigh and took a moment to determine where he even was. Judging by the bulky flight of stairs that traveled both upward and downward, he knew he'd entered the building's stairwell. Fortunately, most visitors and employees took the elevator instead. Therefore, the chance of him running into someone here was least likely.

The boy sat down on the third step of the rubber vinyl stairs and placed the book he had with him onto his lap, then slowly opened it. The natural smell of the paper's chemical loitered into his nostrils pleasantly. He found the tiny folded crease at the end of the last page he'd been on during his previous visit and speedily continued off where he stopped.

" _There is normally only one adult, mated queen in a hive, in which case the bees will usually follow and fiercely protect her. Although bee workers glorify the queen bee, she is at risk of being-"_

Hiro jumped in his skin when he heard another creak come from a level above him and then a loud slam. It sounded like another push bar door being opened and then closing on its own. His blood ran cold as ice at the thought of being found out already.

Hiro was on toes now as he rose from the step. He craned his neck upwards and hesitantly moved closer to the staircase's spandrel to have a better look. Hiro expected to see the face of an adult, but he couldn't see anything at all. Although, he _could_ hear faint but hurried footsteps pattering across the floor above him.

The footsteps were too gentle to belong to an adult and on top of that, the person sounded barefoot.

Who was up there?

Hiro shook his head, trying not to think too much about it. The footsteps weren't coming his way, so whatever the person was up to shouldn't matter to him. He was safe and sound as long as he remained here. The boy was about to sit back down and continue reading about the function of birds, but then he saw something that made his heart leap in his chest:

The tail of a bright, crimson red scarf drifting in the air behind a young girl with beautiful, cherry-blossom colored hair. She was ascending up the stairway at a hurried pace; so fast she was gone before Hiro knew it.

Because the view was so brief, Hiro could've convinced himself that he only imagined the sight, but his heart told him that wasn't the case. Before the boy knew it, his feet moved to their own accord and ran behind her footsteps.

He was tailing after a girl who possibly was or wasn't someone he briefly met two weeks ago. Right now, Hiro surely felt as weird as everyone portrayed him to be, but he wanted to see her. He didn't know why, but his heart was pushing him to do this. After they first met, Hiro was secretly anticipating running into her again by chance.

There were still so many things he wanted to ask her: Did she like the scarf? Did it keep her warm throughout the day, or did it smell too weird for her to use?

Once he made it up the first long stairway, Hiro realized those questions were the least important ones. The other was ascending even higher up, but where to? What was at the end of this maze? He wanted to find out.

As Hiro continued up, he heard another door creak open and then close. The sound was closer to him this time which meant she was just a hair's breadth away. He climbed the next stairway with ease, but once he made his turn, the boy quickly realized he'd come to a dead end.

And she wasn't here.

Hiro assessed his surroundings now and realized there was only one door on this level. She had to be behind there then! Hiro pushed the door open, expecting to enter the highest floor of the building and the one he estimated she was staying on.

Yet instead of the narrow and white hallway he was accustomed to, Hiro was greeted by a cold gust of wind blowing straight into his face and forcing his lids closed momentarily. It couldn't have came from an opened window since the air suddenly felt much chiller than the building's room temperature. Before Hiro even opened his eyes, he knew he'd been led outside.

But… This was the highest level of the hospital, so for them to be outside, they had to be-

Hiro's eyes shot open.

The breeze tickled his skin and made a part of his short, black hair sway with the crisp air lithely. He didn't have a hat on himself since he hadn't planned on staying outside for long, so his skin was vulnerable to the cold. The tips of his ears and fingers were quick to turn red and feel like icicles. His neck was also bare, but the collar of his thick, black coat kept Hiro protected from the frigid atmosphere.

With one quick look around, Hiro could see that he… was on the rooftop.

She couldn't be here though. Crap, he must've run straight past her and missed her on the previous level. Hiro knew even if he turned back now, the girl would be too far away for him to catch up with. She was long gone.

A defeated sigh fell from his cold lips, causing a thin fog to form due to his hot breath contrasting with the outside temperature. Hiro took a step back and was ready to turn back around until he saw _it._ A little girl sitting against the parapet of the roof, knees raised to her chest as she balanced a thick, black book on her thighs. She had the crimson red scarf wrapped around her neck comfortably and its trail ended at the middle section of her back.

Her long hair made her look like a princess in Hiro's eyes. In fact, it was so long that her ends just barely kissed the ground around her bottom. This time she wore plain, pale blue pajamas which covered her arms and legs, but unfortunately, there was nothing on her feet. The scarf most likely kept her warm, but it was the only thing protecting her from catching a cold out here.

Why didn't the adults clothe her properly if they knew she was coming up here?

No.

Hiro shook his head to himself. They couldn't know she was here at all since rooftops were strictly prohibited at most hospitals. They definitely wouldn't allow a young girl to be alone up here without any supervision either. Although, she didn't appear to be doing anything troublesome at the moment.

The girl was sticking to herself and even seemed to be in her own little bubble as scribbled into her unclasped book. Hiro's eyes lowered curiously and noticed the color pencils aligned on the ground beside her ankle. She must be in the middle of drawing something? When Hiro's eyes raised again, they unintentionally met with her hypnotic emeralds which stared back at him in petrification.

Oh, no! He's gone and scared her again!

Just as startled by this sudden escalation, Hiro jumped to his defense and slipped his hands off the door handle, holding them up to show he meant no harm.

"I-It's just me! I mean- I won't hurt you or anything. Do you, uh… remember me?"

Absentmindedly, he'd forgotten about the door which would slowly shut on its own and had to step out of the object's way to miss the near impact. The heavy door locked behind him with a loud click. Meanwhile, Hiro broke out into an awkward smile as he started to walk over to her slowly.

He moved one step at a time as if he was walking across a minefield and one misstep would startle her too much. He didn't want her to be afraid of him. Frankly, he wanted no one in to be afraid of him in general. The boy could handle being looked at as weird, but frightening as well? That was too much for him to bear.

The other still looked on-guard, however. What was he supposed to do in this kind of situation?

"Don't you remember? I'm the only who gave you the scarf you're wearing now," Hiro explained to her, hoping to jog the girl's memory.

At the mention of the scarf, she tugged it closer to her cold and red cheeks, then buried her nose into it. She had only done little, but the boy couldn't help but think she was really…

"Cute," Hiro muttered, not realizing that he had spoken his thoughts aloud. "I-I mean, uhm… So, you remember after all? That's good."

What a relief. He wouldn't blame her for not remembering his face since their moment together was brief. She surely had other matters to think about since she was coped up in the hospital all day long. Hiro didn't understand how she could handle it, but that's why he admired her mental strength. Even though she was clearly afraid, she still bared her teeth at him. Hiro didn't think he could protect himself like that.

He initially wanted to ask why she went so far to escape from everyone else, but Hiro already knew the answer now. It's because nobody would bother her up here.

"Can I sit beside you?" Hiro asked while still making his way over to her slowly.

She responded by turning her head away from him and resuming her work in silence, but Hiro took that as an initiative to approach her.

"Thanks…" The boy said gratefully before he took a seat beside her and drew his knees to his chest like her. He placed his book onto his lap too which wasn't meant to draw in like hers.

It was pretty cold out here, so the boy didn't think twice about the lack of space between them. You often bundled up during this time of the year and Hiro was certain the other felt cold underneath her thin layers. He looked down at her arms and legs to catch for any trembling, but peculiarly, they weren't.

Was she resistant to the cold?

His gaze focused on her book curiously now and felt speechless once he looked at the page the girl was currently working on. Her drawing was absolutely remarkable.

"Woah. Did you draw that yourself? You're really good at that," Hiro commented in full astonishment, his eyes filled with awe.

It was a picture of a landscape with a warm green meadow as the sun descended in the backdrop with a scarlet sky. However, the focus was a large, fully bloomed maple tree. Some of its bright red leaves were rooted to the branches while the others were spread out on the ground. The pencil drawing would've been complete if she wasn't still coloring in more leaves.

He was surprised this artwork came from her dainty hands since he's never met anyone with artistic talent. His own attempts at drawing sucked compared to hers. What pleasantly surprised him more was the girl actually nodding her head in reply to his question.

It was a small and single nod, but Hiro was happy he hadn't missed it. It must be true she's just shy around total strangers then? He couldn't say if she's this way with even people she's comfortable with since he didn't know her well yet.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Hiro stated matter-of-factly, but with a softness in his tone.

He also considered the possibility she was just mute. Although, Hiro wouldn't look down on her because of her inability to speak since he knew how it felt to differ from others. All of a sudden, a light breeze came by and caused her red color pencil to roll across the ground.

"I'll get it!" Hiro announced and began to move out of his comfortable position to fetch the pencil before it would roll too far away from them.

But just as he unfolded his arms, a harsh gust of wind rushed through them. It not only made the girl's hair fly up into the air madly but also her scarf. Both their instincts told them to cover their faces with their arms to block out the violent blast of air. Yet they still found themselves in an unusual position.

Hiro's arms impulsively wrapped around the girl's head to protect her from the wind. He cradled the back of her head with his hand and gently pulled her into his chest in his best effort to keep her warm. After all, she was the only vulnerable one here. He would be fine since he was clothed properly for the winter, but she wasn't.

Fortunately, the assault only lasted for a few more seconds before the wind around them returned to its normal calmness. Hiro slowly reopened his lids, arms still wrapped around the other protectively. He looked around them as if someone would pop out from the corner at any minute, but his attention was immediately drawn back to her when he heard a small whimper from below.

Was she okay?

"Don't worry. I think the worst is over for now," Hiro reassured her in a soft voice and started to stroke her head slowly, beginning from the top and then smoothing towards the back. "Are you cold? How about we head back inside for now?"

The change of the weather was alarming enough for Hiro to believe they shouldn't stay out much longer in the event things became dangerous. She shouldn't be outside regardless lest she catches a cold. Hiro half-expected her to refuse his suggestion, but the other shocked him when she turned her head and buried into it his chest more.

Right away, he knew what her answer was. She really was cute.

Hiro smiled down at her warmly before he stood up slowly with his limbs still wrapped around her. Although, he made certain to let go and help her collect her belongings. Once they both had their things, Hiro rushed towards the only exit and slipped inside behind the girl. The last thing he felt was winter's icy lips against his skin before the door thankfully slammed shut behind them.

"We don't have to go back to where you came from if you don't want to. We can sit right here for now," Hiro suggested to her and sat down on the stairway's first step, resting his book on his lap.

With no argument, she did the same and sat closely to Hiro on her own. It was a small gesture, but it was also something Hiro greatly appreciated. She had her book on her lap as well, but didn't open it to continue her work. The both of them idly sitting on the steps in silence should've felt awkward, but it didn't for Hiro. Mutual silence has never felt so comfortable to him before.

But as expected, it would be him to break it too.

"Actually… I don't really want to go back down myself, but I'll rid you of the details. It's unimportant," Hiro decided at the last moment with a slow shake of the head. Then, he turned to her with a friendly smile.

"What about you? Why are you up here? No, wait. You don't have to answer that. Uhm…"

He's a total idiot. What was the right thing to say to her?

Hiro pondered over it more until he realized what the obvious answer was. He got so excited about seeing her again that he forgot the most important factor.

"Oh, right! What's your name? I'm Hiro and you?" He asked and patiently waited for her answer with an eager smile on his face. That was until he quickly remembered he was attempting to hold a verbal conversation with someone entirely mute.

How did he talk to her in the situation then?

Once more, his hand rested on his chin thoughtfully and his eyes looked around the vacant room in search for an answer. Then, Hiro's eyes finally landed on the other's clasped book.

"Wait, I've got it. Is it okay if I write on one of your pages?" He asked her.

Her face looked hesitant at first as she looked down at her lap, but eventually, she undid the silver clasp and slowly opened her book. Then, she flipped past all her various artwork until she reached a blank page. The girl was clueless about what he had in mind, but she would see soon. He picked up the blue color pencil from the floor and nudged the book closer until it was between them.

Then, he wrote his first message in:

 _[My name is Hiro Akiyama. What's yours?]_

Hiro's solution was obvious now, but would it work for her? The boy looked over at the other and waited anxiously. He hoped she would go along with his idea, but discouragingly, all she did was stare down at the paper.

"...Sorry if it's a little messy. Should I write it over?"

Without answering him, the girl finally picked up the red color pencil from the ground and started to write underneath his message. Hiro couldn't tell what she was putting down because her long hair dangled over the book like a beautiful curtain and obstructed his view. Her writing speed was slow, but after a minute, she finally pulled back enough for him to read the page.

 _[Sakura Frank.]_

Her handwriting was bold and wide, but illegible. It was a short and simple message, but it meant so much to Hiro. He finally had a name he could call her.

"Sakura…" He tried the name out on his tongue aloud and it felt meant to be.

When Hiro looked at her, he could tell that she was definitely a 'Sakura'. She was just as pretty and captivating as the definition implied.

"What a pretty name. Just like the cherry blossoms that bloom during spring."

Hiro brought the tip of his pencil back to the page and eagerly wrote down his next message:

 _[Is it okay if I address you by your first name?"]_

This time, it didn't take the other as long to write a response and maybe that was because it only consisted of three letters:

 _[Yes.]_

Reading her answer instantly made Hiro's face brighten into a happy smile. It's been a long time since he's felt this close to someone.

"You know, they say cherry blossoms represent the fragility and beauty of life itself, but they can also personify rebirth. I find that bittersweet. Don't you?"

Hiro couldn't help but drag a bit of his book knowledge into this since he enjoyed sharing information just as much as he enjoyed learning it. He turned to Sakura to see if she would answer to his ramble, but her hand was still. However, it wasn't because she didn't want to. When Hiro looked her over, he learned the reason for her unresponsiveness was because she was gazing hard at his book.

"Oh. Do you want me to read this to you? It's interesting, but I don't think it's suitable as a story."

Hiro picked the book up and held it high for her to see before laying it flat on his legs to show her the inside. He slowly flipped through the several pages he's already read, so Sakura could get the gist.

"See? You'll probably fall asleep if I read this to you," he explained before he looked at her, but instead of her turning away in disinterest as Hiro expected, Sakura picked up her pencil and started to write something else.

Silently, Hiro looked on in interest.

 _[Read it.]_

"Really?" Hiro raised his brows in surprise.

He thought everyone else would look at these things as junk, but Sakura proved to be one exception. Was she curious by nature like him? If that was so, then Hiro felt good about them possibly having something in common.

"Well, okay. It's a big book though. Should I read a specific section?" Hiro asked, running through the pages again to find a section that might interest the girl.

Just as he was about to move on to another page, Sakura placed her hand over a certain page as if to stop him. Initially, Hiro was confused by this, but then he looked underneath her hand. They were on a page about the history of cakes.

"You want to read about cakes?" He looked over at her for confirmation in which she quickly nodded her head to.

Her responses were small and short yet they expressed so much. Judging by the haste of her nod, Hiro could tell she really wanted him to read this section aloud. He had a hunch she just liked the pictures, but something was better than nothing. The ten-year-old cleared his throat and prepared to read from the very first page.

"Fruitcake—often known as fruit bread—is a cake made from dried or candied condiments, such as fruit, nuts, and spices. Optionally, one can soak it in liquor."

To the far right of the page was a photo caption of a traditional fruitcake which matched the very description given in the book. It was dark brown and had a closer resemblance to bread than it did with cake, Hiro thought.

"Typically, fruitcakes are served at weddings, or on Christmas and because of the dessert's richness, it's possible for it to be-"

Hiro paused abruptly when he felt a light amount of weight against his shoulder. When the boy looked over at Sakura questionably, he saw that she was resting her head against him. The sight captivated him so much that Hiro couldn't help but stare down at her in awe. His abrupt silence caught the girl's notice, so she poked her head up to look at him questionably too.

Their eyes met unintentionally, but Hiro wasn't outright flustered as he'd been the first time they locked eyes. He still thought her prettiness was intimidating and believed he didn't have the right to be so close to someone so princess-like, but the fact that she was initiating this physical contact with him warmed his heart. He couldn't remember the last time anyone wasn't afraid to get close to him.

She was really wonderful.

"Sorry, I got distracted. I'll keep reading," Hiro apologized as he smiled down at her.

Sakura didn't return it. Instead, she looked back down at the book and turned her face into the warm sleeve of his jacket, nuzzling her nose against it. It wasn't a smile back, but the response was worth just as much. Hiro wondered if she liked his scent since she did this so often? It almost seemed like a comfort device for her.

But then, Sakura wrapped both her arms around one of his which was enough to make Hiro actually a little nervous. This was definitely a fast escalation.

"W-Wait, Sakura. What are you-"

That's when he noticed the small trembles of her shoulders and arms. It was subtle before, but now he realized how she was shivering all over. The cold must've finally caught up with her.

"You're shivering. Hold on, I'll warm you up."

Afraid that she'll catch a cold, Hiro immediately removed his thick coat and draped it around her. Sakura seemed unsure of whether or not she should accept the coat, but eventually, she slowly slid her arms through its holes.

Hiro zipped the coat up for her and then adjusted it a bit more until he was satisfied with how snug it looked on her. With the scarf and something warm on her arms, Hiro hoped she would be alright now.

"There. That should be enough I think…" Hiro looked down at her feet. Unfortunately, there were no socks or even slippers, but he couldn't do anything about that. His shoes didn't look like they would fit on her feet. "Sorry. I don't have anything for your feet," he added with a frown.

As if to make up for that, Sakura brought her feet together and placed one atop the other to bundle up. As she curled her toes, Hiro couldn't help but reflect on how cute she was with just her body language. Just when he was ready to return his eyes to the book and continue off, Sakura did something he didn't expect.

She undid her scarf and started to retie it around both their necks until they were sharing the scarf together. Her gesture baffled Hiro, but he knew there was only one way to respond to her kindness.

"Thanks, Sakura," Hiro said sincerely. He would've been fine without his coat since he still felt pretty warm, but he couldn't say no to her thoughtfulness.

"Alright. Let's continue now," he said with his eyes back on the book, leaning his head against Sakura's to reciprocate the physical contact. "If you want to me to stop, just write so in your book."

Once the girl nodded her head twice, Hiro began again.

* * *

Days passed until there wasn't a week where Hiro didn't see her. The two met at the same spot on the stairs countless more times until it became a part of Hiro's weekend routine. It was the only thing he looked forward to every Saturday. He reluctantly still had to see his therapist, but as soon as the appointment was finished, he would flee to find Sakura.

And every time she was there.

Sakura would sit at the top of the stairs while looking diligent and pretty as she worked on an incomplete or new work. His rapid steps up the stairs were noisy enough to gather her attention, so her soft grin blessed Hiro when he turned the final corner.

In their time together, he's learned little things about her. Such as the fact that Sakura was actually a year older to him and how she was the only child in her family like himself. She loved many sweets even though Hiro had already suspected as much. Hiro would even bring small candies with him whenever he got his hands on some because it was worth seeing Sakura's face light up with joy.

He also found actual storybooks to read to her, and most of the time, they enraptured her from beginning to end. Hiro secretly liked the way she would lean against his shoulder when she got really invested in a book's plot. He's come to use that to determine whether a book was a hit or miss with Sakura.

Sakura still didn't use her voice for the most part. She only said little things here and there, but Hiro thought that was a big improvement. He loved it when she spoke. Her voice was sweet like honey and warm like the pavement on a sunny day. Sometimes it was simple answers to simple questions, other times Sakura actually teased him and made him blush.

The rest of the month carried out like this and eventually, his caretakers stopped worrying about his whereabouts after his appointments were done. This made Hiro excited to spend even more time with Sakura, but unfortunately, they faced unforeseen disruptions.

Nurses would often find them and although they didn't want to see him leave, they needed _her_. Hiro honestly hated it when their time together was cut short, but it was also his fault for forgetting Sakura was still a patient here. He never asked what's wrong with her though. It came to his mind in the middle of the day for sure, but once he was with her, Hiro never found the guts to bring it up.

Everything was perfect between them and he didn't want to ruin that. Unfortunately, that choice wouldn't be his to make.

It happened one day unexpectedly.

As usual, Hiro was reading a storybook to her. This one was called 'The Lonely Princess' which was about a lonesome princess who didn't have a family or friends. Until a lowborn boy spoke to her from outside her tower one day. Hiro noticed Sakura really liked books where the protagonist was lonely but formed bonds later on.

When he found this on the bookshelf, Hiro knew right away it would be a hit with her. That was plain to see with how closely she was snuggling up with him, trying to absorb every detail from the pictures. With a smile on his face, Hiro slowly turned to the next page.

"Every day after that, Royce came to see Princess Abigail. They shared little secrets with each other and played fun games from day to night. There wasn't a single day that passed without the two meeting each other inside the tall tower. On the day of Princess Abigail's birthday, everyone-"

Sakura's sudden cough interrupted his next sentence. It didn't sound like a normal dry cough though. It sounded wet and loose as if mucus was being pushed up her throat, but couldn't quite come out. She continued to hack into her hand which honestly startled Hiro.

"Hey, are you okay? What should I do?" Hiro asked, his increasing worriment sending him to an apprehensive state.

Judging by its looseness, it sounded like she was close to vomiting on these very steps. Despite all the time they spent together, he's never witnessed actual signs of Sakura's illness until now.

"I-I'm-"

She coughed again.

"-fine…" she muffled into her hand, but Sakura didn't convince Hiro in the slightest bit.

"You're not. I'll find a nurse or a doctor for you, okay?" Hiro did his best to reassure her without sounding too panicky. If he didn't stay calm, then he couldn't expect her to.

Hiro moved from his spot to help her up, "Here. Let's get up before you-"

But once his arms nearly reached the other, Sakura turned her body away from him.

 _She's ignoring him?_

Hiro immediately found that uncharacteristic of her since she hasn't acted this way towards him since they first met.

"Sakura? What's the matter?"

He placed his hand on her shoulder, but doing so caused her to immediately tense up. Hiro knew right then that something wasn't right. Sakura coughed more into her hand, but this time more violently.

Hiro stood up now and tried to help Sakura up by pulling on her wrist, but he only pried her hand away from her mouth instead. That was when he saw something that made Hiro's face turn pale.

Red.

On her hand was blood. It was raw, thick and slimy. It wasn't there before, so Hiro immediately knew that it came up during her coughing fit. Hiro didn't know how to react, so his mind went completely blank. As the adrenaline surged through his blood, his heart felt very heavy in his chest.

His saliva was so thick in his throat that he felt as if he couldn't swallow. He was completely terrified.

Shakily, he tried to speak. "S… Sa-"

Abruptly, she stood up with her hand cupped to her mouth. "I have to go!"

She turned away from him and hurriedly climbed up the steps. Meanwhile, Hiro didn't have a chance to stop her. By the time his arm tried to reach out for her, Sakura had already slipped past his fingers. The door she disappeared behind closed with a loud and eerie slam, waking him back up to reality.

Even though Hiro was shaken up, he ran right behind her hoping to catch up with the girl. However, no matter which halls he ran up and down, Sakura was already out of sight.

He'd lost her.

* * *

After that day it became harder to see her.

Much to his disappointment, there were three days where Sakura didn't show up to their spot, but the days she did, Sakura never spoke about what happened that day she ran out on him. Their moments together were becoming progressively shorter and things continued that way for a while.

Hiro noticed one major thing change and that was her tone. Before, Sakura was always cheerful regardless of her tendency to be bashful. Nowadays, she seemed sadder and quieter. She didn't write messages down for him as much either. The girl would often have a small and white gauze taped to the inside of her arm, but when he asked her about it, Sakura claimed it was nothing.

Hiro always knew it was something.

As of late, it was least likely Sakura would be at the steps waiting for his arrival, but Hiro still held onto the hope that his wish would come to fruition. Then, one day he went to their spot and found something other than her missing presence.

Sakura's book was lying there on the floor in the spot she usually sat at, but the owner of the book itself was nowhere in sight. Although that was odd, it instantly filled Hiro with hope that she was somewhere close. The dark clouds in his head were parting to make way for the sun's luminous rays.

Did she drop this by mistake?

Hiro sat down on the steps and took her book into his clutches, then placed it down onto his lap gently before opening it up. When he did, the boy found an incomplete drawing on the newest page; one he hasn't seen before. Sakura was very dedicated to her artwork, so it was unlike her to misplace her belonging carelessly.

This meant she came here today at some point, but that left one last question weighing heavily in Hiro's mind:

 _Where is Sakura now?_

The answer to his question made his eyes widen. Once Hiro turned to the next page in her book, there was a note waiting for him. There was no signature, but Hiro could immediately tell who it was from and who was meant to see it.

 _['It's hard for me to see you. I'm sorry...']_

It was from Sakura.

Hiro hurriedly dug his hand into the pocket of his coat and pulled out an ink pen. Immediately, he started to write his response underneath Sakura's message.

 _['Oh... That does suck, but... You left this behind for me, right? I'll take care of it when you aren't around!']_

There. It was done.

Hiro felt happy to have made any kind on interaction with her, but now he felt restless. He wanted her reply urgently, but Hiro knew he wouldn't get one until another week passed. For now, he closed the book and placed it back in Sakura's spot.

He'll wait as long as he needed to for her message back.

.

.

.

The two ended up trading messages back and forth to one another which lasted for four weeks. Since they were limited to shorter conversations, Hiro tried to only ask her important questions. Her answers were still short and simple like always, but Hiro was thankful for them.

He still missed getting to see and feel Sakura physically, but her image never faded from Hiro's memory. Until things went back to normal for them, Hiro felt grateful they had something which worked for them both.

...Things will return to normal eventually, won't they?

* * *

 **March 9, 2022**  
 **4:04 PM**

"I'm here for Sakura Frank."

The mention of her name made Hiro pause in his track. He was on his way to his and Sakura's spot until he heard a deep and raspy voice speak her name. Hiro turned around to see the voice belonged to a tall man. At the moment, he was speaking to a woman behind the check-in desk.

The man appeared to be in either his late fifties or early sixties. His skin was gnarled from what Hiro could see, and the mid-length hair on his head and his thin mustache was a pallid grey. He also wore an unusual choice of clothes that made him appear to be a by-the-book doctor or scientist.

"Ah, yes. And you are?"

"Her guardian."

Hiro's eyes widened when he heard this. So, this person was related to Sakura after all! While it was possible that there was another patient named Sakura Frank in this hospital, it was unlikely given how uncommon the surname 'Frank' was in this area.

It wouldn't hurt to check, regardless.

"Of course. Ms. Frank has been moved to Room 002," she told him.

The man responded with a low grunt but then nodded slowly before he started to walk down the hall opposite to where Hiro stood. Hiro quickly tailed after the man, but he was careful enough to keep some space between them. If not, then it would be too obvious that he was following the elder.

 _Room 002… Sakura, I promise I'll find you._

Werner walked down the hall and made two turns, then continued on. Once they were halfway deep into the building, the elder suddenly halted in his steps. Without thinking about the suspiciousness of his own actions, Hiro automatically stopped when Werner did and awkwardly stood there, waiting for the man to resume his footsteps.

He never did.

"You've been following me for quite some time. I thought maybe I was imagining it, so I purposely went the wrong direction. I figure you're one on my granddaughter's friends, hm?" Werner asked the boy without turning around him.

This startled Hiro since he hadn't thought about what he would do if he was caught. The old man had purposely led him on?

"Unless you're here for a snack or to relieve yourself, then don't pay this old geezer any mind," Werner added on.

Hiro took a moment to look at his surroundings and realized Werner had brought them into a dead end. There was nothing ahead of them aside from the public restroom and a running vending machine.

He'd foolishly fallen right into the man's plan. Hiro found no point in pretending he turned here for either of these things with his goal was much larger. This wasn't over until he at least gave it his all. He still needs to see Sakura!

"I... I'd like to see Sakura, please!" Hiro suddenly spoke up, his hands curling into fists.

Silence engulfed the air for a few seconds before Werner suddenly released a hearty chuckle from deep inside his chest, "What a demanding child you are, but I suppose that's where you two are alike."

From the corner of his eye, Werner looked at the young man from over his shoulder. "I'll allow you to talk to her for an hour. After that, your time is up. Understand?"

Hiro's eyes enlarged in disbelief. A whole hour? That was much more time than Hiro expected to bargain for, but he felt grateful nonetheless. Without waiting for Hiro to catch up, Werner turned around and trudged past him. The tremendously lucky boy was fast to catch up with him. Albeit it wasn't difficult to since Werner didn't walk the same way he used to.

"Really? Thank you, mister!" Hiro expressed happily.

"Just Werner is fine. I don't like the name 'mister'. It makes me feel old," he grumbled.

"Understood… Werner," Hiro responded, politely trying the name out on his tongue.

He wasn't fond of referring to his elders by their first names, but the boy didn't mind stepping out of his comfort zone to respect Sakura's guardian. Werner led them on in silence aside from the flat clicks of his formal black, laced boots. After one turn, Hiro knew they were on the right side of the building once he noticed the single-digit numbers on the room plates.

"By the way… Has Sakura told you why she's here?" Werner asked him out of the blue.

His question made Hiro feel curious but also uneasy about the answer. Hiro desperately wanted to know, but once he did, would he be able to stomach it? It felt cowardice, but he was actually afraid to know the truth.

"...No, she hasn't."

"I see. Forget I asked then," Werner said before he closed his eyes as if to rest them, then halted in his steps altogether, "Your time starts now."

This initially took Hiro aback, but when he looked to his left and read from the white plate beside the sun-kissed wooden door, he felt his heart get lodged in his throat. He was finally here.

Room 002.

He didn't know why, but he felt incredibly nervous. It's been a while since he's last seen Sakura in person, so it was practical of him to be afraid of what laid behind here; especially after what Werner asked him. The boy did his best to swallow his fears by placing his fingers on the silver knob, slowly twisting it open until the lock unlatched.

Hiro opened the door as slowly as he could so he wouldn't disturb her. He learned that was a good choice to make once he looked into the room and saw her. There was Sakura sound asleep on her bed underneath the magnolia white sheets with a serene look on her face. The sheet was raised to her waist as she slept on her side in a fetal position. Sakura was even lightly snoring as she snoozed which he found to be cute.

Hiro thought she was beautiful before but now knew Sakura was even more of a princess when she's asleep.

There was another gauze on the inside of her arm which led the boy to assume she recently finished another medical procedure. His footsteps were faint as Hiro stepped in, closed the door behind himself, and then made his way over to Sakura. For a moment, he stood there like a fool; unsure of what to do besides stare down at her warmly.

Hiro didn't want to stir her awake just so she would talk to him, but he didn't want to walk out the door either. If it was weird for him to want to stick around and just be by her side for fifteen minutes, then so be it. Hiro didn't care if that made him a weirdo since he felt the best he ever has in the past couple weeks.

Sakura stirred lightly in her sleep and whimpered something he couldn't make out before curling up more into a ball. Hiro didn't think about his next actions, he just acted. His gut told him to grab onto the end of her blanket and that's what he did before pulling it over the rest of her body. He knew Sakura got cold easily despite her efforts to withstand the temperature.

Spring was seeping in, however, so why was she still shivering?

Once she was well tucked in, Hiro noticed she stopped squirming. Whether it was subconscious, or just coincidental, he was happy to have possibly contributed to whatever Sakura was facing in secret.

The girl had the crimson red scarf wrapped around her neck as always too. It really warmed his heart that she wore it practically every visit. Hiro was certain she didn't do it just for him either. He reached out for her hand that lying against her pillow and held it with his own.

It felt so warm.

"Hey, Sakura. I kept my promise. We're meeting again just like I said we would," Hiro spoke in a hushed tone and squeezed her hand gently. "Hopefully, the next time we're face-to-face, you'll be awake. Then, I can read a book to you like old times."

Hiro closed his eyes and leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers. This… was also warm.

"There's this new book they added to the bookshelf called 'The Beast and The Prince'," he whispered to her. He didn't care whether his words reached her or not since Hiro would make sure she experienced the story at least once.

"It's about a princess and a prince who are madly in love with one another, but their love is forbidden. So, their friends and family do everything they can to let the pair live happily ever after. Sounds beautiful, right? I think you'll love it."

He tuned out everything but Sakura's small sounds and the faint ticks from the traditional wall clock. Easily, he became lost in his her everything. The room had a strong antiseptic scent to it and as did the rest of the hospital, but her natural scent was much louder than the former. It was her. It was Sakura.

He was afraid to let go of her hand and feel the absence of her warmth. He was afraid to turn around once this hour away over in fear that he'll forget what she looks like. He was afra-

 _No. ...No, what is he thinking?_

He shook his head. Forgetting Sakura wasn't possible to start with since it'll never happen even if he tried. No matter how far apart they were, or how long they were separated, he'll always hold his memories of her close to his heart.

* * *

 **March 16, 2022**  
 **3:48 PM**

"Have you told him yet?"

Sakura ignored Werner.

The girl felt weary and weak similar to how the flu attacked a person's body. Her muscles were sore and tender from the shooting pains that stabbed at them and she also felt lightheaded. Sitting up in her bed made the girl want to lay back down immediately so her stomach wouldn't churn and her limbs wouldn't cry out in agony.

Laying down on her side was the best solution for now.

"I'll take that as a no," Werner concluded aloud. Given the other's silence, he was practically speaking to himself, but that wasn't anything he was unaccustomed to.

His stood near the wall and glanced around the room, so his persistent staring wouldn't unnerve Sakura. Werner knew how fickle she was. However, he would often peek out the corner of his eyes to watch Sakura write diligently into her book.

He'd given it to her as a sketchpad, but it seemed it's become a journal instead. Well, that was fine. Werner believed she was free to use it however she deemed fit. Werner's eyes took a glance at the clock on the wall, noting that the short hand was on the number '3' and the long hand was on the number '48'.

It was about that time.

Werner glanced back over to Sakura quietly. The girl always wrote little but because of the time she spent into getting her words down, Werner knew she put a lot of thought into her responses. Luckily, his career choices made him a patient man.

"He stopped by to see you last weekend," The elder brought up randomly and watched for her response.

For a moment, this caused Sakura to stop writing suddenly before she continued three seconds later. Werner didn't fail to notice this slip-up.

"He seems like a better person than me and I can tell you both cherish each other greatly. It's important to be honest with those you hold dear and pay attention to their feelings," He continued as his gaze dropped to the floor thoughtfully.

Then, his voice lowered into a tired mutter hinted with deep, but unspoken regret. "I learned that the hard way..."

Sakura dropped her pen and then closed her book. When Werner turned to her, he saw Sakura holding her book out to him. With a smirk, he took two steps closer to her and accepted the book with both his hands.

"Geez. Making me do all the work for you, aren't you?" He said, his teasing nature coming out to play.

Werner took a quiet glance at the clock once more, then turned around to walk towards the door. He understood why Sakura didn't want that boy to see her personally, but he could estimate the outcome this situation would have if things continued like this. Yet, he couldn't blame Sakura for her choices since he would do the same in her position years back.

With a heavy sigh, he pressed the elevator button with the up arrow and waited patiently. In the meantime, Werner closed his stinging eyes which had dark circles underneath them. In the back of his mind, he recalled a woman from his memory. A beautiful and ingenious woman with bobbed, blonde hair whom he held close to his heart ever despite her departure from his world.

"Are you proud of me now, darling?" Werner asked underneath his breath, but not to anyone in the hospital with him.

The distinct chime of the elevator doors sliding open made the old man reopen his eyes. Then, Werner stepped inside the lift and waited for it to take him up to the highest floor.

.

.

.

"– _He has severe head trauma."_

" _It's possible it might've started as a minor head injury at the time of the accident, therefore, it was undetectable until now. According to the MRI and CT scan, he has a mild brain infection which needs immediate attention. It can turn into a long-term complication if not tended to accordingly. He has a tear in his tissue which has allowed bacteria to form inside his brain. I suggest you look into having surgery done for Hiro. I can recommend a neurologist to you, miss–_

* * *

 **March 30, 2022**  
 **4:08 PM**

 _[This is the last time we'll talk to each other. I'm sorry.]_

The words punctured his heart like they were shards of glass opening a fresh wound. A sense of nausea swirled in his stomach and made him feel sick. His hands trembled as he held the book in his hands, in sheer disbelief of what he read. Hiro read it again and then once more to make certain he hadn't misread her words, but the sentence never changed.

So, here he was, standing in front of the door to Sakura's room. His fears rang loudly in his head and submerged him with paranoia: What if he was too late and she was already gone?

Hiro tried to shake those thoughts from his mind. There was only one way to confirm his fears. His heart drummed in his chest wildly as his fingers latched around the door's handle, then swung it open. He wanted to see Sakura laying in her bed as usual whether or not she was asleep. He wanted to feel that wave of relief when his eyes focused on her familiar face and saw she had gone nowhere.

Hiro wanted that peace of mind, but he didn't get it. Her bed was completely unoccupied, and the sheets were folded in perfectly ready for its next patient. The boy's worst nightmare seeped into reality. He was too late; he missed Sakura.

Hiro's hand slowly fell from the door and his face became crestfallen as his shoulders sagged in anguish. His heart was screaming right now although his cries went unheard. His emotions wouldn't reach anyone nor would they reach Sakura because… Once again, he was too late. He failed her and broke his promises to her.

Yet there was one thing he didn't understand: Why did she leave him first?

He had several questions that would remain unanswered. Majority of those he couldn't fault her for since he'd been too afraid to ask Sakura himself. However, to leave unexpectedly without an explanation _hurt_. He wanted to go into the corner of an empty room, curl up into a ball, and cry.

Her fingers gripped the middle of his shirt and squeezed the fabric, tugging at the place all his pain was building to. What did he do now?

"What are you doing here, young man? This isn't your room," A woman said to him sharply as she came around the vanilla brown cubicle curtain.

This snapped Hiro out of his heavy thoughts like a bucket of cold water gushing down onto him. By the uniform she wore, the woman was a nurse and most likely was the one to fold the bedsheets in what used to be Sakura's room. Without a word, Hiro took a step back and spun around, closing the door behind himself with haste.

"Wait-" He heard the nurse call out to him, but he didn't want to stick around any longer than he had to.

It was evident to him now that Sakura wasn't there nor would she be coming back. Hiro walked down the narrow hall at a sluggish pace while looking dispirited. His gaze lowered to his feet which continued to lead him to another part of the hospital, but his mind was unsure of where they would stop.

His heart told him to return to his and Sakura's secret spot. Hiro knew very well that Sakura wouldn't be there, but he wanted to be. He wanted to linger at the spot that was still both of theirs and would remain theirs until the day he died.

It was more reasonable to find the caretaker who accompanied him here and just return to the orphanage with them. That was the logical thing to do in this situation, but his feet wouldn't budge with his brain's resolve. No- ...It wasn't his feet, but his heart preventing him from acting on that request.

In the end, he didn't want to leave this place. His memories of Sakura were all here after all. Hiro would come back here next Saturday and all the ones coming up, but the difference was that she wouldn't.

Upon that realization, the young boy's heart panged harder than it did these past few weeks. Hiro took an abrupt halt in his footsteps and squeezed his lids closed, then-

"Are you ready to leave, Sakura?" A deep and jaded voice said within earshot of Hiro.

The familiarity of it made Hiro poke his sulking head up immediately. However, what sprung him back to life was the recognition of _her_ name. The boy's heart nearly leaped out of his chest from the scene in front of him. Just several feet ahead of him was the reason he's been going insane lately. She looked weak and tired from how she carried herself, but it was her.

It was Sakura in the flesh and out of the hospital uniforms Hiro's eyes were accustomed to. This time she was in her casual clothes: A dark grey and light button-up jacket with a short, royal blue skirt that nearly stopped to her knees. She wore black stockings underneath to hide her bruises, black ankle boots, and around her neck was the red scarf he gifted her.

Without a moment to waste, he was running towards the pair. He had to hurry if he didn't want to miss them! This was the only chance he'll receive!

"Sakura!" Hiro called out to her, hoping to catch her attention.

The boy didn't care that he was indoors and how uncivilized it was of him to raise his voice inside a hospital. He _needed_ her to notice him. He _needed_ to see her. Hiro felt a tremendous sense of relief when she slowly turned towards him.

Hiro stopped a few inches in front of her and although he was gasping for air, he didn't wait another moment to rush out what he had to say. It took all his restraint to not swarm her in all his questions at once.

"You're leaving?" He asked in a hoarse voice, but it wasn't from the dash he made to close the large gap between them.

Sakura stared at him in silence, but her eyes said everything her lips refused to. He didn't miss how they winced in pain before she looked up at Werner. It seemed like Sakura was asking for his permission to respond, or maybe even his suggestion on what to do. Werner's only response was to close his eyes and nod quietly.

"I'll be in the car," The old scientist stated before he traveled down the rest of the hall, made a turn and walked through the automatic doors of the front entrance.

Hiro and Sakura were completely alone now without no one to bother them. There were people still nearby since it was an active hospital, but this part of the hall gave them privacy for the time-being. Even if someone came strolling down the hall now, those individuals wouldn't matter to either of them.

Although, it wasn't too obvious Sakura felt that way on Hiro's end.

She refused to look him in the eyes and stared down at her feet instead. This was how she behaved when they first met, but it wasn't because of her shyness this time. It was because Sakura was trying to run away from the situation. Even if she met his gaze, Hiro would only see the new walls she's put back up inside her heart.

"Why?" Hiro asked in a tremulous voice.

He'd hope to keep control of his emotions, but now that he was speaking to her, they were spilling over like a broken dam. He could hardly contain the first layer of tears which pressed to shed. Hiro could feel the muscles on his chin trembling involuntarily, but he did his best to keep everything inside.

Hiro waited for the other to respond, but the only thing that passed was a poisonous silence. His hands curled into tight fists. Sakura bit down on her bottom lip unnecessarily hard. He couldn't keep this contained anymore!

"Can't you tell me that much?! I care about you, Sakura! I want to know what you're feeling and know what's on your mind! We're friends, aren't we?!"

Sakura winced from Hiro's abrupt rise in his tone which the boy didn't fail to notice. He slowly unfurled his fists and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He didn't intend to scare the other or make her think he was angry with her.

He needed a better way to convey his feelings.

"Sakura…" Hiro started calmly and took a small step forward. He was secretly happy she didn't recoil since his next move was to take her soft hands into his own. "Are you not telling me the truth to protect me?"

Hiro knew his suspicion was correct when Sakura popped her head up immediately, then stared back at him with her stunned, tear-rimmed eyes. Her face contorted in pain as her bottom lip quivered until her walls finally crumbled down. They were hardly made of steel, to begin with.

Her briny and raw tears came forth and rolled down her cheeks in slow, wet tracks against her face. Hiro didn't think twice and pulled Sakura into his arms, her wet chin resting against his shoulder. She was prone to soak up his jacket with her tears, but he didn't care about that.

He only cared about her and always has since the day they met.

"I.. I didn't want you to hate me, or regret ever meeting me..." Sakura explained shakily, her dry sobs tearing at her throat. Her body shook in Hiro's embrace, but that made him hold her tighter.

"I could never hate you," Hiro replied, unable to hide how he's joined her cryfest by the waver in his own voice. The tears welled in his eyes finally made thin trails down his own cheeks.

"Liar," Sakura accused in a feeble voice before she hid her face into his shoulder.

The fabric of his jacket soaked up her tears right away. She wanted no one to see her with how ugly she felt. God, she didn't even want _him_ to see her in this shape, but she couldn't deny how warm and inviting Hiro's arms were. So, this was what someone hugging her felt like...

And yet she felt so disgusting.

Hiro let out a low sigh, "When have I ever lied to you?"

She didn't immediately respond and Hiro felt this meant she understood his point. He ran his hand up and down her back rhythmically in hopes it'd somehow soothe her. At this proximity, her scent inebriated him.

"I'm a monster. I only hurt those who stay around me," Sakura finally continued as the next insecurity surfaced to the front of her mind. Hiro had no problem tearing them down one after the other though.

"That's not true. Do you know how I know that? It's because you've never hurt me even once," he said into her ear softly. This conversation was meant for them and only them.

"I made you cry-"

"And I made you cry too. So, now we're even, aren't we?"

Sakura took another short pause with an uneven exhale. Hiro waited patiently to see what else she would throw at him.

"...You won't hate me even though I'm leaving you?" she asked insecurely, her voice becoming significantly smaller with every question.

Hiro pulled back from their embrace, but only to force Sakura to look him in the eyes. Her own were as bloodshot as her face now and her lashes were damp from her constant tears. It was safe for Hiro to assume he was looking into a mirror of himself too.

"No matter how far apart we are, I'll always come right back to you. No matter how much time it takes, I'll always find you again. That's a promise," he responded in a bound and determined tone alongside a strong-willed glint in his eyes. Sakura knew when she looked into them, he wasn't lying to her.

Hiro has never lied to her even once. However, that wouldn't stop her from doubting things when they seemed too good to be true. She looked down and blinked the salty perspiration in her eyes back, then looked back at him. Her nostrils felt droopy, so she sniffled.

"...Do you really promise that?" Sakura asked, her fingers curling around Hiro's forearms as she held onto his sleeves firmly.

For her, the air in the room felt thin, but for Hiro, this was nothing. He cracked her a weak smile, but his feelings for her… His love was here was present. It's always been that way whenever he looked at her.

"With my everything I have left to give. I swear to that. So, until then, will you wait for me?"

Sakura reciprocated his smile slowly and nodded her head twice. Their fingers intertwined with one another's at the same time; a silent promise to never let each other go. Their bond was strong and unbreakable.

With their feelings for one another so infrangible, they would find a way in this massive universe. No matter how long it took, they'll surely cross paths again.

.

.

.

The following Saturday came around and there was no note waiting for him at the top of the stairs, but it didn't hurt him.

He felt okay.

* * *

The heart monitor made short and consistent beeps in the background. To Hiro, it almost sounded like a rhythm and it was the only thing he could focus on. His concentration was scattered because the entire world felt hazy to him. The only thing he could recall is the cold sensation against his back that made him feel like he was lying on metal.

"Rest now, Hiro," came a deep and calming voice belonging to an unknown man.

The man looked down at him, but Hiro couldn't discern his identity because of his blurred vision. He could only tell he was dressed in blue from head to toe.

 _Nng…_

He was too tired to figure out who this person was. His lids were so heavy he couldn't resist the need to close them. He wanted to sleep. Yes… He'll sleep now. Hiro's head lolled to the side as the peaceful beeps in the backdrop lulled him towards dreamland, breath fogging up the inside of his respirator mask.

His entire world was dark now.

.

.

.

" _The surgery has been completed. Unfortunately, the infection spread to the medial temporal lobe of the brain and there's been some minor irreversible damage to the hippocampus. This might cause difficulties with him accessing some of his long-term memories. The effects might not be immediately recognizable, but it can become a long-term issue. Therefore, I recommend psychotherapy to help him with his psychogenic amnesia-"_

* * *

 **September 1, 2022**  
 **4:01 PM**

He missed her.

There wasn't a day that passed where he didn't think of her. His trips to the hospital were never the same again and soon lost their joy, but Hiro tried to toughen it out for her sake. He liked to believe the faster he progressed, the better he'll be once he reunited with Sakura.

It was difficult and better said than done yet he wanted to be someone she could be proud of. The medication prescribed to him this year made him feel wearier and didn't stop the nightmares, but he felt more relaxed during the day compared to before. However, Hiro gradually became more forgetful ever since the surgery.

As the months passed, his memories became so vague that it almost felt as if everything he experienced with Sakura was just a fever dream. Especially with how quickly things went back to the way they used to be before he encountered her.

He flipped back to his old routine of coping himself up in the orphanage's library alone as he flipped through his books. There was usually a new one every other week with how quickly he ran through them. Today, Hiro was reading a book that dipped its toes into a new area he was interested in recently: astronomy.

Just as he turned to the next page of the book he was buried halfway deep into, he heard approaching footsteps which seemed to come from two people. Slowly, Hiro rose his head up from the thick book in both his hands only to lay his eyes on a man he's never seen before.

"Are you Hiro?" asked the unidentifiable man. It slightly unnerved him that this person he didn't know knew his name, but Hiro didn't voice that thought aloud.

The adult was clearly older than him because of the nice, well-kept suit and tie he donned, as well as his tall height.

"...Yes," Hiro said unsurely, but as politely as he could.

With a large grin on his face, the man who was soon-to-be his 'Papa' bent down and held his hand out towards him.

"It's nice to meet you finally."

.

.

.

...Hiro finally stopped thinking about her.


	12. Darling

A (belated) Valentine's Day present.

* * *

 **March 2, 2028**  
 **1:40 AM**

Soft sniffs filled the room. It was near silent aside the times Hiro and Sakura would clear their noses every ten seconds. The tip of their noses, their damp cheeks, and their swollen eyes were red from crying heavily into each other for the past hour. They sat on her bed together with the bedroom door locked to avoid any other disturbances. Right now the only comfort they could find was from each other.

Hiro leaned against her headboard while enveloping Sakura in his arms. One hand rested against the back of her head while the other rested against the middle of her back. It was a position the young adults were familiar with. At the moment, they were both literal wrecks. They had so many things to discuss, but the shock of the entire situation has rendered them speechless.

The only way they knew how to express their whirlwind of emotions was through crying.

If an onlooker were to judge them now, they might find it difficult to believe the two weren't crying over devastating news. However, it was true they weren't sullen and were far from devastated. They felt the happiest they've ever been despite the way Sakura sobbed continuously into Hiro's wet neck.

"S-Sorry…" she muttered her apology against his neck and sniffed loudly again, "There's so much I want to say to you, but all I can do is cry like a weakling. I'm so gross."

"I'm crying with you, aren't I? If you're weak, then we're weak together," Hiro whispered back, his lips nearly touching the side of her head as he held her close.

"..-s that supposed to make me feel better?" Sakura asked, but her sarcasm didn't quite come off as well with her unsteady voice. With her face buried against his neck, a part of her sentence was too muffled for Hiro to catch, but he fully understood what she meant.

His neck was soaked with drops of her tears, but Hiro didn't mind. There was no other place he'd rather be right now. He let out a small, dry chuckle at her response.

"If we're in things together, then it isn't so bad. Is it?"

Sakura didn't respond, but at least she stopped weeping momentarily. That was a small victory for Hiro who didn't like to hear her cry. It upset him as a kid and it still did seven years later. Hiro felt movement from Sakura and when he turned his head, the boy saw her rubbing at her puffy and bloodshot eyes.

Hiro hated how much this situation has broken her. He took complete responsibility for it since his own negligence brought them to this point. Had he never lost his precious memories of her, they wouldn't be-

"What made you remember?" she asked in a small voice with her face pulled away enough for her words to be clearer this time.

Hiro idly stroked her head as he thought his words through. This was a fragile discussion, so he wanted to reply right. If he somehow messed this up too, then he would be 'asshole of the year'.

"The book. You intentionally put it into my backpack, didn't you?"

Hiro felt her nod her head twice. The small gesture caused him to break out into a tiny smile, negating the thin, wet trails on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry I forgot. No… No amount of apologies can make up for what I put you through," His voice dropped as his eyes lowered, "When I read our old conversations, they felt familiar. I knew I was missing something for a while now, but I could never put my finger on it. Then, Ichigo-"

Sakura tilted her head up to look at him, _"Ichigo?"_

"Mhm," Hiro nodded his head and closed his eyes, "She helped me connect everything but it wouldn't have happened if you didn't show me your book. Thank you, Zero… No. Thank you, Sakura."

"Hm… I guess I should thank her sometime," she said thoughtfully, then slid down lower to rest the side of her head against Hiro's chest. He kept his hands in the same place even after she shifted positions.

"...When we first met at school, I had a hunch it was you. You felt familiar and then… When I looked into your eyes, I knew. You always look at me with the same compassion and determination from back then."

Sakura wrapped her arm around Hiro's frame loosely, hand against his side, "You're so kind to me. Nobody has ever treated me that way other than my family."

Just speaking about her feelings made her crack a weak smile despite her tear-brimmed eyes. Her honesty touched Hiro too since he was tearing up all over again. Would the waterworks ever cease?

"When you told me your name again, it made my heart race stupidly."

Hiro stopped stroking her hair so abruptly that it made Sakura's smile drop back into a concerned frown immediately.

"Hiro?" she asked, looking up at him questionably.

"If anyone acted stupid, then it was me. I… I'm so sorry, Sakura. I disappointed you. I broke my promise and had the nerve to not remember you once we reunited," Hiro explained regretfully. The guilt gnawed at his heart with nothing left to spare.

He squeezed his eyes shut and furled both his hands into fists, hanging his head low in shame. His dark bangs draped over his face and hid his wrinkled forehead, his clenched teeth, and his quivering bottom lip. The guilt hurt him from within like a blade of a knife stabbing at his guts. His wounds only became deeper the more his self-hatred consumed him.

"There's no way I can ever make it up to you… I don't even have the right to get frustrated. I'm the one who made you suffer..."

His clenched fists and his sagged shoulders trembled. His tears leaked from his eyes and trickled down to his chin. But before his guilt could swallow him whole, Sakura's warm hand laying atop his brought him back to her.

When his head slowly rose to look at her through his blurred vision, Hiro saw what he expected. Sakura sat up fully and stared at him with narrowed eyes, and her eyebrows pulled down in frustration. She had every reason to be angry with him; he thought. He fully deserved this. So, Hiro closed his eyes and lowered his head down once more to prepare for her harsh words.

Her harsh words that never came.

"You never made me suffer once! So, forget that thought immediately!" Sakura said in a serious tone as her fingers curled around his fist and held it.

She didn't approve of Hiro beating himself up over this. She had mental wounds, but she didn't blame him for any of them. Completely taken aback by her lack of contempt, Hiro's tearful eyes reopened and stared at her in confusion. When their eyes finally met, Sakura's stern face slowly softened.

"You remember me now. That's more than enough for me," she said to the boy in front of her sincerely in a hushed voice.

The corners of her lips inched up into a tender smile. Her lashes were still damp from the tears she shed and her eyes swelled with red. He caused every tear that dripped from Sakura's eyes and stained her face, but she still smiled at him like he did nothing wrong.

 _How…_

Hiro didn't feel like he deserved her. How could Sakura not resent him when he's a jerk who trampled all over her fragile emotions? A jerk who made empty promises? Even though he thought all these things, Hiro's fingers slowly unfurled from their fists. It was sinking into his head slowly that she didn't hate him for any of this.

Maybe he really _was_ awful for feeling a little relieved Sakura had no ill feelings towards him either. The guilt still devoured him from the inside regardless of any other emotions he felt.

"I'm sorry I made you wait for so long…" He mumbled weakly with his body still hunched over in defeat.

"I forgive you," Sakura whispered back and wrapped her arms around Hiro, pulling him into her embrace. It was her turn to reciprocate the support he'd given her when she felt all knocked down, "Everything is okay now because I have you."

 _Because she has him…_

Hiro closed his lids as the sobs punched through, fighting a battle they easily won to return. He embraced her back tightly and allowed his tears to run free. His throat felt hoarse from sobbing already, but he buried his face into the other's shoulder and released the rest of his anguish.

 _That's right. This time, I won't fail you, Sakura. You have my word for it._

Hiro cried unceasingly for a length of time neither of them were sure about, but eventually, his tears came to a slow decrease. His wet and swollen eyes reopened, and they sat like this for a while as Hiro breathed calmly against her in silence.

Eventually, he spoke.

"...I think this explains everything."

"What's that?"

Suddenly, Hiro drew himself back, but only so he could look her in the eyes and return her smile from before.

"How we bonded so quickly and why I felt so strongly for you. It felt like we've always known each other the moment we bonded. It turns out that was true," he further explained.

Sakura fell silent for a second and looked at Hiro with a stunned look on her face before she slowly averted her gaze to a random wall in her room. Her response caused Hiro's smile to dip instantly and look at her in concern, worried that he said something wrong to her.

"Sakura?"

At first, she said nothing, but her lips slowly parted five seconds later.

"...I actually thought I repulsed you," she muttered as if she was ashamed or shy about admitting this aloud.

Hiro looked visibly taken aback by her claim, "Why would you think that?"

"I…" Sakura started, but trailed off and ended with a shake of the head, "Nevermind. It's stupid."

Hiro knitted his brows together at the easy dismissal of her own feelings. She did this so often, but he didn't like it. He took her soft hands into his own to make her understand this.

"None of your feelings are stupid. If I made you feel that way, then you've got it completely wrong. You can't do anything to repulse me, Sakura."

Even though he took ahold of her hands, she still didn't look his way. Instead, the girl's eyes only dropped from the wall and sullenly stared at the floor. Sakura has pushed him away before, but Hiro hasn't seen her act insecure. He knew right away this wasn't a side of her he wanted to see again.

"You always seem hesitant to touch me..." she replied in a near whisper.

"Oh…" His voice suddenly dropped while his grip on her hands loosened. His fingers almost dared to pull away from hers, but at the last second, they found their place around Sakura's white hands again.

"That's because… I was afraid."

"Afraid of me?" Sakura asked in an accusing tone as she finally glanced over at Hiro, but without fully turning her head his way.

"No! That's not even close to what I meant–I… I was afraid I'd make you uncomfortable, but…" A dry and weak laugh came forth from his salty lips, "I see that's stupid considering how we are now. Huh?"

"Very stupid. If you made me uncomfortable, I would stop hanging around you immediately," Sakura responded with a frown and finally turned her head his way.

Hiro let out a small chuckle with an honest smile, "That's reassuring then."

He had several thoughts floating in his head, but there was one in particular he felt the need to bring up before the others. However, a lump in his throat made him stop. The problem wasn't his question, but the possibility of her answer.

But if he grew cold feet here, how would he prove to Sakura and himself that he's any different from back then? Hiro exhaled a slow sigh and made the extra step he was too afraid to several years ago.

"...Sakura?"

Her eyebrows rose in question. "Yeah?"

"On the day they discharged you, was it because you became better or…" Hiro watched her eyes, "...Because they transferred you to another hospital?"

Her frown deepened and her eyes became darker and avoidant. She looked down at her lap, but nodded her head in silence.

Hiro caressed his hand with his thumb nervously, "Yes to which?"

"The second," she replied softly with a reluctant sigh.

Hiro could feel when his breath hitched at that moment. With this new information, he needed to find the strength to tackle the rest of his painful questions.

"Are you still sick?"

She kept her eyes down as if she had a sudden curiosity in her thighs, but he knew this wasn't the case here. Sakura refusing to say anything to him made Hiro feel on edge, but he wouldn't stand for being pushed away after all this.

"Sakura. Tell it to me straight," he asked of her firmly. Not even that. It was a desperate plea for her to accept him into the rest of her heart. A plea for her not to protect him any longer. "I want to know what's on your mind."

The familiarity of his request was enough to make her walls crumble down partially.

"Yes," Sakura replied, but in a tone that made it clear she would rather talk about anything but this.

Hiro suddenly found it hard to swallow. Those weren't the words Hiro wished to hear, but unfortunately, he suspected this answer. He only wished he wasn't correct. The boy almost felt hesitant to ask his follow-up question, but this wasn't a matter to avoid.

"Is it bad?"

"No," Sakura responded quickly and met his eyes confidently this time, "I've gotten a lot better actually, but it's still mandatory for me to show up to my check-ups."

The girl was lying through her teeth, but she assumed Hiro bought it when he slowly nodded his head. She didn't like lying to him, but it felt necessary to for this.

"...When you were in the hospital until today. Was that-"

Sakura already knew what he was about to say, so she beat him to it.

"Not related. I actually contracted the flu, but it's alright now," she replied firmly.

 _Another lie. God, she's awful, isn't she?_

"Right," Hiro closed his eyes and dropped his head to think for a moment, swiping his tongue between his dry lips.

After a couple of silent seconds, Hiro worked up the nerve to ask her second question:

"Is it okay if I ask what your sickness is?"

Hiro noticed her lack of an immediate answer. She curled her fingers and then released them rhythmically as if she was on the fence between what to say to him. After a couple of more stressful seconds went by, her lips parted slowly.

"It's a failure with my bone marrow. In short, my body has defective blood cells. My current treatment is an injection every six weeks, but it's been a few years since I've last relapsed."

Her reassurance wasn't a total lie. She has experienced no bad episodes until _this_ year, but Sakura wouldn't admit that to Hiro. He cared about her too much and while she loved that part of him, Sakura couldn't let him know the truth. She couldn't tell him the risks involved with her condition. Such as if her body continued to fail her, then her condition could turn out for the worst.

She knew the kind of face Hiro would make if she admitted any of that to him.

"I had no idea…" Hiro replied with a grimace and squeezed her hands, but not with enough force to hurt her.

He… wanted to hold on to her as tightly as he could, so she never went out of his reach again. He didn't want to lose her. Not now; not ever.

"I know you said nothing bad has happened to you in a while, but what happens if… If things get like that again?"

"Are you saying you'd miss me if I left?" She teased as she stared at him smugly, the corner of her mouth stretching up into a playful smirk.

"Yes."

After everything they went through, Hiro didn't feel afraid to admit he feared losing her again, but Sakura didn't anticipate his bluntness at all. Usually, Hiro would react cutely by becoming all flustered, but instead, he answered her seriously.

This was the second time her attempt to reduce Hiro to a sputtering tomato has flunked. She stared at him speechlessly given the fact that Hiro's statement was so bold of him to make. Now _she_ was grasping at straws to find an appropriate answer to this conversation she wanted no part in.

After a few tense seconds, Sakura came back down to Earth and returned to her casualness as best as she could. Maybe if she could make the mood light again, then she'll feel less pressured to give Hiro an honest statement.

"Are you immune to my teases now?" she complained playfully as her bottom lip protruded to make a small pout.

Hiro offered her a soft smile, "Yeah, I think I've gotten used to them."

"How boring," Sakura sighed exhaustedly as her tone dropped into boredom.

Her hands slipped out of Hiro's easily. Even though they were afraid to lose one another, they both still trusted each other to not run too far. Once her hands were free, Sakura used them to lean back and tilted her chin up to stare at the white, high ceiling above their heads. For what felt like three minutes, the girl stared at nothing of interest while she tried to piece her thoughts together.

Sakura was always thinking and most of the time, it wasn't of things others would be happy to know about, but she still owed Hiro an answer. A lie would do, but she didn't want to commit another sin she didn't have to. No– Ironically enough, even that was a lie she hid behind.

She only thought Hiro deserved to hear something honest from her for once.

"The day I leave this city, I want it to be with you," she confessed to him abruptly.

 _So, don't worry about me leaving you behind._

Her confession took Hiro aback as anyone would be. It was a lot to tell someone you wanted to escape from the placed you lived. It was even a bigger thing to swallow when they told you they wanted to make that escape with you. The information was too large to wrap his head around without clarifying that his ears didn't mishear her first.

"With _me?_ "

"We have a special bond, don't we?" Sakura said and looked away from the ceiling to look at him instead, a large grin stretched out across her face. "If there's anyone I want to see the world with, it's you."

Hiro could only look at her wordlessly. He knew his answer, but the shock of her declaration hadn't gotten through to him yet. That left room for Sakura to misunderstand his silence for uncertainty, so her doubts naturally prodded at her.

Her smile dropped into a frown and shifted her eyes to the bed dejectedly, "Of course, it isn't anything more than a wish of min–"

"I want to see the world with you too," Hiro interjected her to say.

Sakura wasn't expecting him to go along with her dream that easily, so when she looked back at Hiro, it was with pure surprise.

"I've been in Mistilteinn for as long as I can remember. Although, my memory isn't that reliable apparently," Hiro let out a small laugh, "I think it would be fun."

Once it finally sunk in that Hiro agreed to accompany her on her largest dream, she felt her heart burst into fireworks with a warmth that ran down to her toes. If she could, she would do flips right now.

"Then, is it a promise?" she asked, grinning ear-to-ear.

Hiro nodded his head, "A promise I won't break."

Compared to how the rest of her day turned out, Sakura felt incredibly lighter now. Today was so heavy for them, but she's cried enough to let out all her nasty pent-up emotions. Speaking of crying, she probably looked unsightly right now.

"I feel disgusting. I'm gonna wash my face before bed," Sakura announced before she turned around and stretched her arms out as soon as she was on her feet.

"Shit. What time is it?" Hiro asked while he felt his empty pockets for his phone only to remember shortly that he left it behind.

"Already trying to run away? Just spend the night with me," The other suggested while she gave Hiro a devious smirk from over her shoulder.

"That's better than walking back home," Hiro admitted with a tired exhale.

He felt so drained that he probably wouldn't make it the entire walk back home. Only a good night's rest could fix this. Hiro liked to believe he wouldn't have to wake up in the middle of the night. There wasn't any reason for him to dream of Sakura anymore. She would be in close quarters of him tonight after all.

"Can I use your phone to contact home? I left mine behind by accident."

"Sure. It's on the nightstand," Sakura replied with a wide but quiet yawn, before she stepped inside her bathroom. She left the door slightly cracked behind herself.

"Thanks," Hiro said and looked over at her nightstand for the phone she said would be there.

He spotted it instantly and leaned over to grab it, thumb hovering over the home button. Not much longer, the faucet ran from the room over and Hiro couldn't help but smile. He thought it was silly of her to think she could ever look gross in anyone's eyes. He couldn't look at her differently no matter how many tears she shed.

 _But that aside…_

Her pressed down on the button and the screen turned on immediately. There was no passcode, so he was immediately inside her personal belonging. He intended to seek the text option, but much to Hiro's surprise, the phone opened right up to a conversation Sakura forgot to exit.

He was about to swipe away from it to respect her privacy, but the minute his eyes glanced over the contact name, he felt his heart drop to this stomach.

'Darling', it said.

 _Does Sakura have a boyfriend?_

He looked down at the device in his hand in disbelief, the warmth quickly abandoning Hiro's face. He didn't want to look at the unknown person's nickname any longer, so he started a new draft and entered Ichigo's number. Normally, it would be more appropriate to call her, but Hiro knew Ichigo was asleep at this hour. Their father was home to make sure of that too.

A quick message would only vibrate once and not disrupt her slumber.

Hiro sent a quick message about his whereabouts. Once the chime reassured his words delivered safely, he placed Sakura's phone back onto her nightstand. He laid back against the bed and stared up at the ceiling, thoughts swimming restlessly in his head. He still couldn't get 'darling' out of his head.

He didn't take the time to read Sakura's conversation with that person since it wasn't his place to. He wouldn't betray her trust by going back to do it now either just to sate his curiosity, but it still wracked his brain. His chest burned with sadness at the thought of her having a deeper bond with someone other than him. Someone who she… loved like that.

The running water in the background stopped after a minute, but Hiro was too deep in his thoughts to notice until the bathroom door creaked open. He instinctively turned his head to the sound with a smile already on his face. As Sakura stepped out, he noticed that her eyes were still red and her damp lashes still looked the same. The only way Hiro could tell she washed her face was because of her still patting her face dry with a white towel.

"Welcome back," He told her softly, acting as if she left the house for hours instead of running into the bathroom for a few minutes.

"I feel like shit. Let's go to bed," The girl groaned and dropped the hand towel on the floor once done with it.

Once she neared the bed, the girl tossed herself onto it which caused the mattress to bounce. Then, she turned onto her stomach and pressed her face into the mattress. Hiro was unbothered by the rough movement and only smiled down at her endearingly.

"Right," he agreed with a nod and slid near the edge of the bed, "If you could tell me where the guest bedroom is, then I-"

"What?" she interrupted.

Sakura pulled her messy head of hair out from the mattress and looked over at Hiro, "Just sleep with me. I don't mind."

The girl moved off her stomach and laid on her side instead. Then, she pushed back a loose strand of hair over her ear before patting the empty spot he just occupied suggestively. Hiro didn't wish to accept her invitation since it seemed too intimate and… Well, he didn't like how the thought of sleeping beside her made his heart race.

Besides, she has a boyfriend, doesn't she? With that in mind, Hiro slowly rose from the bed.

"I don't want to invade your space. I don't mind slee-"

Hiro felt something pull him back down before he could get far. It was Sakura's grip on the back of his shirt.

"We don't have a guest bedroom," she lied.

She didn't…?

Hiro found that strange since her house was much larger than his own, but Sakura didn't allow him enough time to debate over the legitimacy of her lie.

"Don't worry. My bed has enough room to fit both of us," Sakura added excitedly.

It was a little too large for one person and he felt that personally when he was previously the one in it. His bed at home was a queen-size, so this was definitely a king.

"Only if you're sure about this," Hiro responded.

"I won't make you sleep on the couch. Besides, you don't have much of a choice," Sakura sat up and turned her back to him where she unwrapped her scarf with care.

As Hiro watched her do this, he felt the warmth regenerate in his face as he thought of how many feelings such a simple accessory carried. He even noticed the extra length it had now compared to back then. She placed it down on her nightstand then slipped underneath the sheets. Just before Hiro could get too comfortable, a thought hit him.

"Wait, what about sleepwear?"

"What about it? I just sleep in whatever I'm wearing," Sakura replied while shrugging her shoulders.

Hiro considered arguing, but he had nothing he could change into, anyway. He wouldn't bother her by asking for a pair either since he wasn't that choosy. So, Hiro followed her attitude about it and got comfortable underneath the sheets with her.

Once Sakura turned her lamp off, a thick blanket of darkness draped over the room. The moonlight creeping through her tall windows kept their tired faces barely visible to each other. Since they both laid on their sides and were facing one another, it was inevitable for their eyes not to have met by mistake. Now that their dark irises stared into each other, neither of them knew who should close their eyes first.

Truthfully, they didn't want to tear their gaze away from the other.

Yet after a few awkward seconds, Hiro was the first to do so. It was already enough she was letting him in her bed. He didn't want to creep her out by watching her sleep too.

"Sweet dreams, Sakura," he whispered in a tired voice while suppressing a yawn.

When he heard her sweet voice whisper back to him, Hiro knew he would sleep well tonight.

"Sweet dreams, Hiro."

* * *

 **March 2, 2028**  
 **7:10 AM**

Hiro woke up to the feeling of heaviness against his body, but he was too groggy to tell why that was the case. The sun poured through Sakura's bedroom windows and made him squint his eyes as soon as he tried to open them. They weren't ready for the bright, early morning yet.

"Nn…" Hiro groaned as he raised his arm and placed it over his eyes to block out the sun's ultraviolet rays. Just as he went to turn on his side to resume his slumber, he felt something stop him.

No… Not something, but _someone_. It felt like a person's body was in the way? Hiro brought his arm down and tried to assess the situation through the slits of his eyes. That's when he met a sight that made him hold his breath.

Sakura was sound asleep, but she had her limbs wrapped around his body and her head against his chest. He knew very well they hadn't fallen asleep in this position, so this must've happened sometime during the night. He never thought of her to be a wild sleeper before, but now that Hiro pondered over it, it suited her personality fully.

Awkwardly, the boy held his arms out since he was unsure of where to place them. He didn't want to wake her up for something so inconvenient, but surely, he should move her. Shouldn't he?

Hiro wrapped his arms around her body and tried to guide it to the side, hoping that she'll subconsciously flip over on her own. But instead, Sakura only held him tighter and buried her face against his neck.

 _So much for that…_

Despite his failure, he didn't feel upset over the situation. The position was rather odd, but he surmised it to Sakura naturally being a clingy person in her slumber. If anything, the feeling of her body pressed up against his was far better than any time he woke up alone. Hiro moved a hand to her head and stroked it tenderly like he did before they went to sleep.

He doubted his ability to escape her grip without waking her up in the process, so he got comfortable for now. Hiro thought that would be possible since he felt comfortable with Sakura even before he regained his memories. However, she suddenly lifted her leg which made her thigh rub against his crotch teasingly. It didn't stop there since Sakura wrapped her leg around his waist next like a monkey.

This was actually a horrible mistake.

It was fortunate that she was still asleep, therefore Sakura wouldn't register the problem she created for him, but that didn't help Hiro calm down. His only choice now was to get out of her grasp before she woke up and noticed. Discreetly, he tried to slide out from underneath her body without too much motion. Hiro felt a gleam of hope when her leg around his waist loosened its hold from the pull.

But right as he sat up, he was pulled back by force. This caused Hiro to let out a surprised gasp and the blood to rush to his face. He looked over at Sakura whose lids were still shut, but there was a small smile on her face this time.

"Y-You're awake?" he sputtered.

"Mhm… Trying to sneak out the morning after you slept with me?" she teased him in that tantalizing voice dripped in a seductive sweetness.

Her choice of words definitely weren't unintentional, but Hiro knew how much the other loved to toy with him. Apparently, it still worked. Sakura moved her face closer to his neck until her nose pressed up against his bare skin. The shock of the intimate contact caused a shiver to run up his spine.

"What are you…"

He felt her take in a deep exhale which somehow made him relax too. His cheeks were still red, but he closed his eyes and prayed his rapid heartbeat would steady itself. Their hearts nearly connected since her chest was so close to his, so Hiro didn't doubt she'll be able to feel the way she made him feel.

How quickly he'd forgotten that Sakura had a significant other this was much more appropriate to do with.

"You've liked smelling things since the day I met you," he reminisced with a small chuckle escaping his lips.

Hiro never knew why, but he was always afraid it would embarrass her badly if he pointed it out. Therefore, he never asked when they were younger.

" _Wrong,_ " she disagreed with a hard emphasis.

This made Hiro looked at her with a puzzled expression, "What?"

He was wrong? Hiro was certain Sakura always had a habit of smelling things, but it's also possible his memories are still that foggy. Maybe he was confus-

"I like smelling _you_ ," Sakura corrected Hiro with a cunning grin he could feel against the bareness of his neck.

"Oh…" He responded with a complete loss of words like an idiot.

Hiro didn't know what to say to that and frankly, he felt too scared to try lest he say something uncool. He could feel his ears turning hot, so his face probably looked worse for wear.

"...Do I smell that good?"

It was probably a stupid question, but that was the first thing that came to mind.

"Hm…" Sakura hummed to make it seem like she was genuinely thinking about her answer, "Well, right now you smell like sweat."

"Huh?" Hiro's eyes widened, not only shocked from the honesty of her answer, but because he remembered the run he made to get here only now. If he didn't look like a tomato before, then he definitely did now.

"Wait, then don't smell me! I need to take a shower or-"

Sakura erupted into a fury of laughter as she locked her arms around his frame, making it difficult for him to run off to the bathroom only a foot away.

"I'm okay with it though. It's you, so I like all your smells," she said sincerely and placed her nose back where it was.

Hiro figured she wasn't just flattering him with how intently she still smelled him and was reluctant to part with him. Even yesterday she could've said something about his hygiene, but she didn't. Albeit to be fair, he doubted she cared about that at the moment.

He surely didn't then, but today was a new day. If he faced Sakura's family members before his own, Hiro wanted to at least smell decent. He didn't want them to think he was a dirty person, but his fate was in Sakura's hand.

"Still. I should at least wash up before I return home," Hiro tried to persuade the other, but his futile attempts were returned with a cute whine from her lips.

Even though he was trying to bargain with her, he couldn't help but smile over her childlike response. When Hiro tugged her arms which acted as latches around his frame, her grip only became stronger. He wouldn't get anywhere at this rate.

"Sakura, please let me go?" Hiro asked patiently while he looked down at her, but she didn't return his gaze. He couldn't help but imagine this is what it'd feel like to deal with small children.

"And what if I don't?" she questioned childishly.

It was obvious Sakura was egging him on, but Hiro played along with her small game, anyway. He definitely didn't think he'd engage in this small tussle with her when he woke up. ...Now what did Sakura like?

"If you do then…" Hiro pondered over what he could for her that was within his abilities. It had to be something simple since he wasn't an extraordinary person. "...I'll make you pancakes?"

No, that was a weak offer. The chef has most likely put out breakfast already and it probably tasted far better than his own handiwork. He needed to think of another tac-

Sakura's arms and leg suddenly retracted from around him all at once, "Banana pancakes with half a bottle of honey."

 _Wait, what?_

Hiro looked down at her, bewildered his idea worked. Judging by the eager grin on her face, this didn't seem like a trick to make him believe he was free. She actually looked hungry and something from his own two amateur hands would be the only thing to sate it.

"Deal," he agreed with a content smile.

Banana pancakes. Fortunately, he knew how to put this together since his sisters were fans of the breakfast meal. It should only take him ten minutes at most. With his body now free from Sakura's limbs, he slid out of the sheets and got up onto his feet.

"What about Saburou, though?" Hiro asked when the thought made its way to the top of his head.

Sakura's response wasn't that reassuring since all she did was shrug her shoulders carelessly, "So? I eat his food every day."

Hiro let out a defeated sigh and shook his head lightly, "Alright, but I hope you'll be the one to explain it to him. Not me."

He made his way to her bathroom and twisted the door open by its knob. Hiro took a moment to look back at Sakura who looked like she was about to fall back asleep. She had a fluffy pillow underneath her head to compensate for his chest and her lids were shut, revisiting the serenity of her unconscious state.

Sakura looked far too comfortable for someone about to get up with him. That was fine since Hiro would wake her once her breakfast was finished. He turned around and took a slow step inside the foreignness of her bathroom. Just as he went to close the door behind himself, Hiro heard Sakura shout one last thing to him.

"Don't forget the honey!"

Hiro grinned largely to no one in particular before he rose his voice.

"I won't!"

* * *

 **March 10, 2028**  
 **1:40 PM**

The tip of the paintbrush nuzzled between her fingers ran over the canvas elegantly. Red and white swirled into each other and made a beautiful pale pink. A beautiful pink that made up the cherry blossoms of the prunus tree as snowflakes fell from around it. You didn't usually such trees during winter, but Sakura made it real by her own hand.

She lifted the tip of the paintbrush up from the canvas and dipped the head into a jar of mixed water. The dark blue paint floated off the bristles like smoke and swirled slowly with the different colors. After, Sakura lifted the head out and dried the bristle off with a small rag beside her utensils. Once everything was dry, she started from the top.

Sakura dipped the tip into the blob of black from her palette, then swirled it with the blue to form a darker shade. Once she had her color, Sakura resumed and moved her hand across the canvas instinctively. Her wrist knew where to curve in and how short top since she's been painting for three years now. It wasn't too different from drawing with a pencil once one understood the basics.

The door noisily creaked open from behind her and the old floorboard squeaked as someone stopped right at the door frame. Sakura didn't need to look away from her task to know it was Mayuki by the door. Her mannerism was distinct.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" she asked rhetorically since the woman stepped inside regardless of her question.

"If you believed that, then you'd leave me alone," Sakura responded smartly as she continued to stroke her brush across her picture.

"Oh? You should watch your tongue with me," Mayuki reprimanded her but only lightly since she still maintained her composure.

Her steps were quiet the rest of the walk over, meaning that specific part of the floor was worn out. Mayuki thought to herself that it may be time for them to move to a newer manor. However, she doubted any of them could part with this place so easily. She knew for certain Sakura wouldn't be able to.

Her eyes drifted to the corner of the room where the sunlight didn't quite shine. There was a set of portraits leaned against each other and draped in a large, white sheet. The sheet was meant to protect the portraits from gathering dust in their new space. Mayuki didn't agree with taking them all down from the upstairs hall, but Sakura insisted they do so.

At least they joined Karina in this old room now.

Mayuki made a mental note to herself to move the portraits into the closet some time day. When the woman looked forward, her eyes became immersed in the painting before her. She stopped a few inches behind Sakura and stood there in a quiet awe. The younger's artistic skill never failed to amaze her. Every time she saw something of Sakura's, it always felt like she was seeing her art for the very first time.

She'd move closer for a better look, but Mayuki cared about the other's personal space. That was something the young woman needed more than anyone else in this house. Although Werner's recent passing has taken a toll on them all, it weighed the heaviest on her shoulders.

Even though Sakura never called him her father, Mayuki could tell she looked up to Werner as one. Or at least the closest thing to it.

"That looks beautiful. You've been gifted since you were a child," she commented with a sincere smile, eyes dazed in the emotion Sakura's painting portrayed.

It was only a tree with snowflakes surrounding it, but somehow, her pieces always drew out something from her heart. Mayuki couldn't quite describe it in a way that made sense, but this was how she felt. Whether it was the specific colors, the girl often picked or something else, she didn't know. After all, she wasn't an artist; only a housemaid and recently a legal guardian.

She's tried to persuade the girl to let them hang up her paintings and drawings, but Sakura refused every time. The other seemed to not value her art enough despite taking joy in it. If she genuinely disliked it, she wouldn't coop herself up in this room for hours.

Sakura said nothing to her compliment and continued to work in silence. Mayuki assumed she had to be used to them by now, but that didn't stop her from always letting Sakura know how great her art was. However, at this moment, she was also a disrupter of her peace.

Well, this shouldn't take too long. She'll leave in a moment's time.

Mayuki walked around Sakura and headed towards the large double windows that faced them. For once, the wine-colored drapes were drawn back which allowed the sunlight to reach inside of the room. This room was originally used for storage and that was clear by the thin layers of dust on unused tables and other miscellaneous items. She wasn't sure what all was up here anymore.

If Mayuki looked up, she could see a few cobwebs trying to blend in with the dark corners of the ceiling. She would have to clean this place up since Sakura was using it again. The girl hadn't picked up a single pencil or brush since Werner's passing until recently. So, it made her smile to see Sakura picking up her hobby again instead of huddling up in the depressing dark.

"Do you intend to do anything next Thursday?" Mayuki asked while she looked through the window and gazed at their front garden.

It was well taken care of since they never allowed the grass to grow too tall. Its color was lively and took up most of their front yard where there wasn't gravel to drive on. However, Mayuki always thought it looked rather dull. They had a centerpiece, but nothing there to catch one's eye.  
There weren't flowers in their front yard or even a water fountain. This is probably why Sakura was so sullen around the house before.

 _Maybe I should start a garden out ther-_

"Why that date specifically?" Sakura responded, but she didn't sound interested in the answer. Surely, she would after she heard her out.

"You're not aware?" Mayuki looked away from the front yard and faced her with a clever smile. Sakura looked down to rub more of the pink paint onto her bristles, but she caught the woman's look from the corner of her eye.

Although her straight expression didn't change, Mayuki knew her curiosity was there. If she wasn't interested, then she wouldn't have ever looked her way.

"White Day is coming up. I'm sure you want to do something with your darling, don't you?"

Mayuki observed Sakura's expression soften and how the tip of her brush paused before it reached the canvas. Her words definitely reached her. If there was a way to open the other's chest, she could bet Sakura's heart was pounding away right now.

"Why does it matter to you?" she replied rudely, but her attempt to chase Mayuki away failed when the other notice her chew on her bottom lip to hold back a smile.

Sakura tried to hide her expression by lowering her head, but by then it was too late. Apparently, Mayuki didn't need to look inside her chest to read her true feelings. It didn't take long for Sakura to pick up where she left off though, continuing her slow and elegant stokes.

"I'll get straight to the point. Feel free to stay out as late as you want on Thursday. The three of us will stay out of your way as much as we can," Mayuki finally explained.

She imagined it would thrill Sakura to hear this news since running away and breaking curfew was her specialty. Now she could have the freedom with no punishment involved. When Werner was alive, he often let the girl get away with whatever she wanted.

He was so carefree, but she wasn't. Therefore, Mayuki wanted to show Sakura she was flexible too. She was only hard on her because she cared for her tremendously. Her largest task now was trying to hold back her anticipation for Sakura's reaction.

"Really?" she asked and looked her way fully, disbelief readable in her emerald eyes. The paintbrush was still nuzzled between her fingers, but no longer moved along the incomplete piece in front of her.

Mayuki was initially excited to deliver the news to Sakura when she discussed the idea with Sawako. However, the sheer shock the other showed made her feel a tinge of guilt instead. Has she been too hard on Sakura all this time?

Sometimes she forgot she wasn't a child anymore, but a young woman who could make her own choices. She was a young woman who should live her life the way she wanted to. It was selfish of her to tie her down to a place she wanted freedom from.

It wasn't what Werner wanted when he was still with them, but what about what Sakura wanted? Mayuki closed her eyes with resolve.

"Actually…" Her voice started shakily, "Starting today, you can make your own decisions. You won't have to listen to any of us anymore. I'm releasing your shackles to this place. That's what you've always wanted, am I wrong?"

Doubt prodded at her and made Mayuki contemplate if she was making a mistake by doing this. However, when she witnessed Sakura's lips stretch out into the largest grin she's ever made at her, Mayuki knew this was no mistake.

This was only the right thing to do for her. Hopefully, this could amend for all these years they've made her feel like a prisoner.

Sakura dropped her paintbrush and abruptly threw herself onto her, causing Mayuki to stumble back. The woman didn't even have time to understand what was happening here until Sakura enveloped her tightly with her arms.

"C-Calm down, dear!" she stuttered.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" Sakura rushed out all at once, chin resting against her shoulder. Tears were pricking the girl's eyes where Mayuki couldn't see them, but her reaction alone moved her heart.

She let out a soft, deflating sigh and wrapped her arms around Sakura, returning the taller one's embrace but not as tightly. Her own lids closed as she raked a hand higher and rubbed the other's back soothingly.

She should've done this years ago. If only she'd truly paid attention to Sakura's feelings. Hopefully, it wasn't too late to start now.

* * *

 **March 14, 2028**  
 **6:56 PM**

 _"Am I doing anything this week?" Hiro repeated into his cellphone._

 _Him and Sakura were talking casually before she brought this up out of the blue. He didn't think much of it though since making plans with Sakura brought a smile to his face. It was always better when she was within reach of him rather than miles away._

 _They lived so close to one another in such a large city yet it still felt like they were on opposite sides when they weren't together._

 _It was probably pathetic, but he didn't have to think twice about her question._

 _"No, not that I'm aware of. Are you?" he replied, his tone lifting with excitement Hiro failed to contain._

 _"Nope," she said with a shake of the head that he couldn't see._

 _Hiro didn't need to be there to tell she was smiling either since it was visible in her tone. Apparently, they both already knew where this was going._

 _"Then-"_

 _"Come to my place Thursday night. I don't care when. Just make certain it's dark when you do."_

Hiro didn't know why Sakura only wanted him over once it was dark out. It didn't make much sense for it to be to sneak around with him. He's met her family before and they told him he's always welcomed at Sakura's place. So, what's the purpose behind tonight?

Hiro's innocent curiosity wouldn't remain unanswered for much longer since he finally stood at the front gates of her manor. Recalling how he entered the last two times, he lifted his finger to the buzzer to notify someone of his arrival. It didn't feel like over two seconds passed before Hiro received an immediate response.

The automatic gates opened immediately for him albeit slowly. The swiftness of it all made him wonder if Sakura's household installed a new system, but he soon doubted this was the case when the front door swung open. Sakura stood beside it, moving her arms in large motions which Hiro assumed was to wave him over.

Even though the landscape that separated them was massive, Hiro could still see the way her beautiful grin gleamed from where he stood. Just like last time, he didn't wait for the gates to open fully before he slid his body between the thin gap. Sakura was ushering him over, so he couldn't leave her waiting.

Although, if Hiro said that was his only reason for his rush then he'd be lying. He desperately wanted to see and feel her too. There was an incredible sense of déjà vu as he ran to close the distance between them. After what couldn't feel like any sooner, he could see her hypnotic smile close up and it looked even brighter from here.

"Hey," he said, slightly breathless but still grinning largely at her.

It was almost immediately when Sakura stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around one of his own, practically clinging onto it. The physical contact filled him with a warmth Hiro felt he lost. He's missed her so much that he couldn't even feel flustered from her affection. It was just good to see her again. Sakura had her red scarf wrapped around her neck even now. Did she really wear it all the time?

"Come in," The girl said in excitement and pulled him through the door which he happily complied to. She didn't even wait to shut the door behind themselves and led him up the staircase.

Naturally, Hiro assumed there could only be one place to go upstairs.

"Are we going up to your room again?" he asked curiously while looking up at her posterior.

"It's a surprise. You'll see!"

When she briefly looked back to answer him, Hiro saw the excitement still plastered on her pretty face. That look impelled him to hold on to his patience long enough for Sakura's alleged surprise. Hiro couldn't imagine what the other had up her sleeve, but the reason he was here came second.

That's because Hiro felt happy to be with her at all. It didn't matter where they went. He was careful not to trip over his own feet as Sakura literally pulled him up the steps. Once they reached the last stair, he was pulled down a long hallway. The scene reminded him of his old dream only this time he didn't feel stressed.

He felt… incredibly light.

Sakura made a turn and pulled him towards glass double doors which led to a large balcony. This wasn't an area he explored his last visit here, but to be fair, Hiro hardly received the chance to tour the entire mansion. It was far too large to do so by himself.

"We're here," Sakura turned to him with a passionate smile before pushing open one door.

Before Hiro even walked through it, he could already see what she laid out for them. There was a white blanket spread out on the ground which was spacious enough for two. In the center of the blanket was a medium-sized box wrapped with a thick, dark red ribbon too. There were also two chairs which looked like they were in the wrong part of the house. However, what caught Hiro's attention the most was _what_ those chairs situated around.

"Ta- _daaa!"_ Sakura said joyously with her arms stretched forward to show off her flashy possession.

There was a large and bulky home telescope in the middle of Sakura's balcony.

Hiro's jaw slacked open in shock, impressed by how expensive the model looked. He didn't even know Sakura had a telescope! It was far from the cheap ones local stores sold in the toy section too. Able to tell how successful her surprise was, Sakura giggled to herself. Hiro always wanted a telescope as a child, but his parents could never afford the reliable brands.

Eventually, he found new desires as time went on, but never expected to come back to this one. Sakura wasn't aware of Hiro's old fascination in telescopes and merely thought this would be a great way for them to spend time together. The fact that they knew each other so well was fate.

It didn't take a genius to catch on to what she had planned either. They were about to stargaze together again and with the proper equipment this time. This why she asked him to only come over once it was dark out.

"This… is amazing! I didn't know you had one of these!" Hiro said in pure astonishment and took a step closer to the object.

He wanted to touch it and use it immediately. Hiro already knew where each part was located and their function from what he read. The lens was gigantic which meant they would see very far. Hiro could feel himself growing more excited by the minute.

"Neither did I. It was my old man's, but anyway, let's find Corvus!" Sakura exclaimed and quickly took her seat in front of the white and black telescope.

Hiro nodded his head and took his seat beside her. Their chairs were so close that moving even slightly would cause their knees to bump. He leaned his head down and closed one lid to look into the eyepiece.

"Alright, where are you…" Hiro tilted the optical tube up with the help of the mount and scoped the celestial sphere with his observant eye.

He knew where Corvus was in the sky given it's his favorite star and he's looked at the constellations dozen of times before. First, he searched for The Big Dipper's handle which led him to Spica and Arcturus. From there, he found his favorite place in the starry sky.

"Found it," he said with an accomplished smile on his face and pulled back, gesturing for Sakura to lean over and look with his head.

She gladly did so and lowered her head to peek into the eyepiece. Hiro knew Sakura found it once the corners of her lips stretched into a gaping grin. However, not even that look reflected all the awe she felt at that moment. That look that shot warmth up to Hiro's heart.

Yes, they've seen the stars before. They looked up at them every night, but they've never seen their beauty close up until now.

"I see it! Wow, it's so pretty…" she said in pure astonishment.

 _That's not the only thing that's pretty._

Even though Hiro strongly believed Sakura was the prettiest thing under the moonlight, he tried to distract his mind from such thoughts. It'd spell trouble if he got caught staring at her. The girl would definitely call him a pervert and besides… Sakura was already taken by another.

He couldn't think of her like that anymore.

Hiro felt something press down heavily on his heart at the reminder. So, he tried to think of other things but the person who made Sakura happy.

"...Did you come up with your own constellation yet?"

Sakura didn't remove her eye from the eyepiece as she shook her head, "Not yet. I've been thinking about it but… It's not the right time."

Hiro wasn't too sure what she meant by that, but he didn't question it.

"It'll come to you eventually," Hiro reassured her.

He had a feeling she'll tell him right away with how easily excited she became over things.

"By the way, is this the max focus point?" he asked curiously, moving the conversation along now.

"Mhm, but you can see the moon clearly if I do this-" Sakura pulled back and unscrewed the eyepiece.

She fiddled with the telescope thoroughly before Hiro came over to ensure it still worked at all. Therefore, she was confident in her ability to use it. Hiro understood what she was doing even before she finished replacing the lens too.

"Try it now," Sakura said with a proud smile, gesturing towards the telescope with her hand.

Hiro did so gladly and when he looked down into the magnified lens again, he felt breathless from the sight before him.

"Woah… That's amazing…"

The moon was as clear as daylight. It was surreal seeing something miles away in space in such an unfathomable way. Hiro couldn't believe he was witnessing this straight from Sakura's balcony. He could see the craters on the moon albeit he couldn't zoom in on them. The telescope wouldn't allow him to see that far, but it still amazed Hiro.

"Right? Do you wanna see my old man?" Sakura seemed to ask him out of the blue.

At first, her suggestion tripped him up. Hiro didn't exactly know what she meant by that at first until he quickly recalled the things he told her when she was in the hospital. She actually held onto his silly idea despite laughing at it?

"Of course," he replied and pulled back, intrigued by which star she could show him.

Sakura swapped the eyepiece out once more and closed one lid as she leaned down. She shifted the position up slightly and then a bit to the left before she pulled back and smiled widely at him.

"He's the brightest one out of them all," she told him before he went to take a peek.

Hiro instantly searched for the star twinkling the brightest amongst the sky. Usually, Venus dazzled at this time of the year, so he suspected this was the "star" he needed to look for. However, the one shimmering the brightest in the sky _wasn't_ Venus.

It was... _What star is this?_

Hiro couldn't even put a name on it. He knew what his sky looked like and this wasn't one of the several stars he remembered by heart. Was it a fainter star that happened to be more visible in March and he didn't remember it last time they stargazed? ...Or has a new star been born entirely?

A large part of himself wanted to believe it was Werner's reincarnated soul. Even if that wasn't the truth, Hiro found no harm if choosing to think this way. It made Sakura happy after all.

"It's so bright. I actually don't remember ever seeing this star before," Hiro admitted.

Sakura nodded her head and folded her arms underneath her chest, "That's why I know it's him. Like you, I read the book you gave me in and out yet I still can't match a known star to it."

Hiro didn't know what to say to that, but if she strongly believed this, then so did he. It was even amazing to possibly discover a new star with her and with such high equipment.

"It has to be a protostar then. That's amazing," Hiro marveled and shook his head in disbelief.

"Isn't it? It's like him to be the brightest one. He's always been such a show-off."

Sakura rolled her eyes but by the reminiscent smile on her face, he knew she meant it with love. Hiro subconsciously returned her contagious smile.

"Let's see what Werner looks like up close," Hiro suggested as he went to replace the lens with the larger one.

The two continued to take advantage of the ocular lens and spent so much time stargazing it was uncertain how long they've been at it. Possibly an hour… Maybe more? Sakura could only do one thing for so long before she wanted to do something else, however. While Hiro was in the middle of scoping Jupiter, she stood up suddenly and walked over to the blanket.

Hiro noticed her movement and looked up from the eyepiece to see if she was fine. He couldn't know what Sakura was up to when she walked away from the telescope. Despite how close they've gotten, the other could still be unpredictable at times. However, it became clear to Hiro the moment she retrieved the untouched gift box from the ground.

"I bought chocolates from the bakery," Sakura stated when she returned to her seat.

It was for them both, but rather than letting Hiro unveil her selection himself, she couldn't contain her eagerness and ungifted it herself. She undid the ribbon hastily and allowed it to fall beside her feet, then lifted the top up. Inside were six rows of chocolate truffles, assorted into thirty-six pieces. Each chocolate was unique to its own design and came in gold cupcake liners.

Hiro could tell the chocolates Sakura bought were gourmet from their appearance alone. Did she really buy them from that bakery down the street? Hiro didn't want to assume she bought the chocolates to share with him no matter how appetizing they looked. Sakura had the biggest sweet tooth out of anyone he's met, so her buying the exquisite treat for herself was plausible.

At least, that was his mindset until she scooted closer to him until their knees touched and she faced him fully. Then, she picked up one truffle from its wrapper and with a smile on her face, Sakura held the small chocolate up to Hiro's mouth.

"Taste it. I heard they're supposed to be great," Sakura tried to persuade him and it wouldn't take much on her part.

If it tasted as good as it looked, then Hiro knew there would be no disappointments. However, his hesitation wasn't over the quality. The escalation of the situation took him aback. Was it really okay for Sakura to feed him like this? But even if Hiro thought that, his lips were parting for her on their own.

Once his mouth was wide enough, she slipped the truffle onto his tongue but didn't return his personal space to him. Rather, Sakura stayed in his face which made a small flush appear on his cheeks. Being watched closely by the other made him suddenly feel shy. He wasn't even sure where to look, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her mesmerizing stare either.

Her emerald irises reeled him in like helpless bait.

Hiro tried to focus on the soft and velvety chocolate he chewed on. It practically melted on his tongue and with its appearance, he expected to taste the rich flavor all chocolates of high quality had. Instead, the flavor made his face curl. Not in disgust, but… well, he isn't sure what he feels.

"Something... tastes off?" Hiro commented questionably.

"Oh, that must be the champagne flavor," Sakura answered the reason behind the weird taste on his tongue.

He hasn't had alcohol before, so he definitely wouldn't be able to spot it; especially fused with chocolate. The alcohol was too strong for his taste though. It overpowered the actual chocolate, and no longer felt like he was eating an ordinary truffle anymore. Yet he still finished the rest of it even though reluctantly.

"They're not _all_ liquor, are they?"

"No. There's caramel, tiramisu, vanilla, raspberry… All sorts of flavors in here," Sakura summed up for him.

At least all of those sounded more appealing to him. He'll have to avoid eating any more of the ones with pink dribbles of glaze. Hiro reached down into the box now and picked up a truffle before he held it up near Sakura's mouth.

There should be nothing wrong with returning the favor, right?

Without even questioning him, Sakura opened her mouth like she already expected him to do this. Her hungry gaze looked directly into his eyes as she awaited the chocolate, but something told Hiro the truffle wasn't what she felt famished for.

...No, he was only seeing things he wanted to. Sakura has a boyfriend; she has a… 'darling'.

Hiro felt a pang in his chest, so he tried to get this moment over with quickly. He leaned in and slipped the truffle into her mouth, making unwanted eye-contact with her the entire time. The way she stared at him sent literal shivers down Hiro's spine. Her lips closed, and she chewed on the honey, caramel chocolate slowly.

Hiro averted his gaze straight as Sakura moaned lowly.

"Fuck, that's good."

He could hear her the wrapper crinkle as she picked up two more and popped it into her mouth. Things carried out like this for however many minutes. They continued to watch the stars twinkle while they attempted to get full on chocolate. Sakura was emptying the wrappers faster than him but Hiro didn't care if she ate the entire box up. He knew she valued sweets more than he did.

While Hiro was in the middle of his turn, he saw something that made him gasp. A small, but long white tail soared rapidly through the midnight blue sky.

"Sakura! A shooting star!"

"Let me see!" she exclaimed excitedly and peeked through the lens to witness the once in a lifetime sight.

Indeed, it appeared to be a star crossing the sky. They knew stars couldn't actually fall, and it was only a meteoroid burning up from the Earth's atmosphere. Yet the emotions behind the rarity of it all was still there.

"Wow… I've never seen one in person. I didn't even think they were real," she spoke in awe and Hiro couldn't help but chuckle over her harmless ignorance.

"Neither have I. Only in books," Hiro admitted and looked up at the vast sky above them.

He could still see the space rock soaring across the sky with his naked eye, but with the telescope it was without a doubt better. He didn't know if it would land somewhere or burn up into ashes before it did. Whichever happened, it was out of his control.

He felt glad to at least experience this phenomenon once in his life.

"You know what they say about shooting stars, don't you?"

"If you make a wish, it'll come true?" Sakura answered knowingly and pulled back to smile at him.

Hiro nodded his head silently and returned her smile.

"Then, let's both make a wish and tell each other afterward. Deal?" she suggested.

"They say your wish won't come true if you tell another person though," Hiro reminded her playfully.

As imaginative as he was, Hiro didn't really believe in superstitions. So, if Sakura wanted him to share his wish with her, then he wouldn't argue over it.

"That's just a saying. Don't be a spoilsport," she pouted and looked up at the sky before her lids slid shut.

Hiro did the same and pondered over what he could wish for. He already felt he had everything he wanted. He had Sakura and his bond with his family was good. His heart didn't yearn for much more.

Then, a hand rested on top of his and squeezed it gently. Hiro reopened his lids and looked back over at Sakura, assuming she was trying to tell him something. But her chin was still pointed toward the sky and her lids were still shut. Her wish wasn't finished yet, but that's when Hiro realized he still yearned for something important

The boy closed his eyes for a second time and hoped his desire would reach someone with greater power than him. Once Hiro finished his wish, he looked over at Sakura again to see her eyes already on him.

"So? What did you wish for?" she pried.

"Uhm…" Hiro's cheeks burned with shyness and he went to scratch his cheek.

The embarrassing thought of revealing his wish aloud to her made him begin to regret his agreement.

"I wished for…"

Sakura leaned closer in anticipation like a child who wanted to hear the climax to a made-up story. Hiro couldn't resist the other at all, so he let out his defeated sigh. He wouldn't go back on his words now.

"I wished that you'll continue to be happy for a long time," Hiro admitted.

He wanted to preserve her smile. Just the thought of her ever feeling miserable again made Hiro's gut wrench. He wanted her to always be okay; emotionally and physically. Hiro wanted her to continue to find the joys in life and not belittle herself as someone who didn't deserve it.

That was the true Sakura.

But as Hiro watched her smile slowly drop, it became clear his answer wasn't one she expected.

Her head lowered and her eyes fell to knees wordlessly. Her bangs made it difficult for Hiro to read her expression, but he assumed she was sad. This quickly sent Hiro into an internal panic.

"Sakura?"

Her lack of response caused his guilt to gnaw at him like a parasite.

"I'm sorry if I shouldn't have wished for that," he apologized.

"No, it's just…" She laughed lightly and shook her head, "Some of the things you say are really insane. ...I'm not mad though."

Sakura wiped her eye to rid a tear from between her lashes, then raised her head to smile at him. She didn't appear to be lying, so the heaviness in Hiro's heart lifted. With his fears pushed aside now, he tried to stir the conversation away from his awkward confession.

"What did you wish for?"

Now it was the other's turn for her cheeks to burn red uncharacteristically.

"Oh, I…" Her fingers curled against the edge of her seat and her lips pinched together, "...don't feel like saying it anymore."

"Why not? I won't laugh at you if that's what you think," Hiro replied as his lips inched up in amusement.

He found it endearing how abashed Sakura became over something she suggested. It couldn't be that bad, could it?

"If my wish turns out well, I'll tell you it then," she perked up confidently.

Hiro didn't know the details of her wish, but he wouldn't force her to reveal it to him despite his piqued curiosity. It was personal to Sakura, so he'll wait as long as she wanted him to. He understood she wasn't the most open person in the world either.

They were similar because of that.

"...I told you my wish already, but I realize I have a second one too."

"What's that?"

"I really wish I read that last book to you back then. I swore to you I would, but in the end, I didn't." Hiro looked down at his palms before he furled his hands in frustration. "I know it's a small matter, but… The fact that I never kept my end of the promise bothers me."

"The Beast and The Prince?"

Hiro looked up at her in surprise she remembered the title. Even if his memories were weaker than hers, he believed he only told her about the book when she was asleep. How did she recall its name so easily?

"I think that's it. It shouldn't surprise me that you remember it like yesterday."

Sakura smirked at him and stood up from her chair, "Wait here."

Hiro looked at her empty chair and then the doors she disappeared into without another word. As with most things, he had no idea what she was planning now. Even if Hiro tried to guess, he wouldn't have ever hit the nail on the head. There was no way he expected her to emerge from those mosaic doors with _that_ specific object in her hands.

In her hands was the very children's book he mentioned seconds ago: The Beast and The Prince.

Hiro's turquoise eyes enlarged in shock. He was certain his eyes were playing a trick on him. Was this really–…?

"Wait, you...?"

"Yup!" Sakura nodded her head and held up the book to his face proudly.

He read the title twice to make certain his brain wasn't acting fuzzy on him, but the five words never changed. The book was really there… in her hands.

"I remembered when you spoke about this book to me. The day after I transferred, I had my old man look it up in the library and buy it for me."

It looked good as new which showed the amount of care Sakura placed into it. The picture book was her second keepsake because it held all the memories spent with Hiro at the children's hospital.

"Wait. Does that mean you were awake when I went into your room that one time?"

"Only partially. At the time, I thought it was only a dream, so I didn't think much of it until…" She shook her head lightly and smiled, "Well, you know the rest."

"Wow… I can't believe…"

Sakura passed the book over to him which Hiro was more than happy to accept. He marveled at the cover in nostalgia that only became stronger upon opening the book. The chemicals from the glossy paper were so faint they didn't infiltrate his senses this time. That was to be expected since the book was over seven years old.

However, the book still felt delicate in his hands despite its wonderful condition. He feared ruining another thing precious to their relationship, but… He had to prove to her she could count on him. He failed her once, but he wouldn't do so twice.

Since fate was merciful enough to give him a second chance to amend for his mistakes, he'll look them in the face instead of pitying himself.

"Well, I have a book to read, don't I?"

Hiro looked up at her with a large grin which Sakura gleefully returned. She ran over to the large, warm blanket laid out on the ground and patted the spot beside her eagerly. Hiro followed her cue and took a seat beside her, crossing his legs together. He didn't know how close she wanted them to be until Sakura took the initiative.

She scooted over herself and laid down on her side, head taking up one of his thighs. Hiro didn't feel uncomfortable with the position. He just kept the book lowered enough for her to see the pictures. If she was anything like the girl from back then, she favored the art more than the actual words.

" _The Beast and The Prince,_ " he started.

Let's see. Hiro didn't remember all the pieces to this story, so this would help jog his memory.

 _"In the deepest, darkest part of a forest lived a tribe, hidden from all. They had large wings on their backs and were beautiful, but they were called beasts. Among them was their princess, who had huge, ashen wings. Their law said once one turned sixteen, they would be allowed to fly outside the forest."_

On the first page was a woman as beautiful as the short passage described. Ashen grey wings sprouted from her back with tinier, blue and purple feathers and were larger than he could ever imagine. Thick horns protruded from the top of her head and her hands resembled bird claws. These were the main three features that apparently made her beastly.

She wore a long red, heavy-looking dress and her white hair flowed down her back. Its length reminded him of how pretty he found Sakura's own hair to be. The art style was beautiful overall. The pages were painted diligently instead of drawn too. This was something he didn't notice enough to appreciate fully when he was younger.

 _"And on her sixteenth birthday, the princess took flight to the world beyond the forest. She crossed the steep mountains and the surging rivers and reached a land of humans. The moon shone brightly in the sky."_

As he turned to the next page, Hiro took the chance to look down at Sakura. Her complacent expression was enough to make him smile warmly. Most likely, she's read this dozen of times but still looked as invested as she was as a child. Hiro was happy to read this to her now.

 _"She landed in a castle garden, where she found a young man gazing up at the moon. The princess hid in the bushes and stared at the young man, and for the first time, love bloomed in her heart. But he was clearly of a different race. A beast and a human could never be together."_

The color scheme transitioned into different shades of purple and pink. The yellow moon was reflective in a crystal clear lake that separated the two. The art in this book was unlike anything he's ever seen before. No wonder Sakura kept possession of it even once she grew out of it.

 _"And so, the princess went to see a witch who lived in the same forest and said, "I want to live as a human. I want to be united with him."_

 _The witch replied like so: "I can help you if you offer me your wings. But keep this in mind. No matter how you disguise yourself, you are a beast, and you will consume the prince's life one day."_

 _"The princess ripped off her wings and was assaulted by pain far more intense than she had ever felt. She could never fly again. Even so, she smiled happily, with tears of joy streaming down her face._

 _"I'm human! I'm human! I'm the same as him now!"_

The bittersweet undertones punched him in his guts, but once he recalled how this story ended, Hiro knew this part was important for the story's development.

 _"The princess once again set out for the land of humans, this time on foot. In the desert, she spotted a group of people."_

 _"Oh, no! Is there anyone who can save him?!"_

 _"There laid a young man, his leg bitten by a snake. The princess rushed to his side and sucked the venom out from his wound."_

 _"Thank you, o brave lady. I am the prince of these lands." It was the same young man she had met in the castle. "I owe my life to you. Please marry me."_

Eventually, that's what the couple in love did. They held a wedding ceremony for the whole kingdom to witness and after that; they were happy as could be with one another. Until one day, the princess and the prince were met with unforeseen complications.

The princess's humanity came with a price: A terrible curse. As a result, she turned into a monster with onyx skin. Taller horns protruded from her head and her wings appeared large, spiky and dangerous.

The only way for her to undo her curse was to harm her beloved. Hiro could feel his heart ache for the fictional woman.

 _"The princess gazed at her beloved prince as her claws reached for his throat. She loved him more than anything and anyone but the desire to rip his neck apart welled up inside her. As she desperately tried to clench her fist and stop herself, her claws dug into her skin, and blood started gushing out."_

 _"If I kill the prince, I will be freed of this curse..." With tears streaming down her face, she kissed the prince on the cheek."_

He looked down at Sakura, hoping she wasn't put off by the darkness of this story. His concern came to light once he noticed the frown digging into her face. He imagined she took this part even harder as a child. What was he thinking by choosing this story back then?

 _"When the prince awoke, the princess was no longer beside him. Instead, the bed was covered in jet-black feathers. In profound sadness, the prince searched all across the land for her but nobody had seen the princess."_

He flipped to the next page. If his memory didn't betray him, this was the part it should get better.

 _"With no whereabouts of his princess, the prince became desperate. He decided he would have to travel far if he ever wanted to see the princess again. So, one night, he gathered his things to prepare for his search. Once finished, he made his way over to the kingdom's entrance, but faced a remarkable surprise."_

 _Half of the kingdom was there with hefty bags in their hands._

 _"What's this?" The prince asked._

 _"If our princess is in danger, then it's not our prince's trouble alone. We want to help our dear princess and prince in every way we can!" The citizens declared._

This moved the prince so much that tears welled up in his eyes. He accepted his people's help and soon; the kingdom went on their long journey to recover the missing princess. They searched high and low to no avail. Just as the prince felt hopeless, he heard soft whimpers from nearby.

The prince followed the unusual sound until he found a beautiful, black creature with large wings and a dress resembling the last thing he saw his own princess in. The creature sobbed into her long claws until she noticed his presence and immediately turned the other way.

 _"Don't look at me!" she cried._

 _The prince felt it in his soul that the beautiful creature before him was his beloved._

 _"My princess… It's you, isn't it? I've been looking for you everywhere!" The prince rejoiced._

 _"I'm a horrible beast. You should find a new wife who's not unsightly like I," the princess responded, tears still rolling down her cheeks._

 _"I don't care what you look like, princess. Your heart is made of pure gold! You are the person I fell for! The person I want to spend the rest of my life with!"_

 _"But what about my fangs? My claws and my horns? A beast and a human can never be together," The princess sadly protested and shook her head._

 _"If that's the issue, then I'll become a beast with you!"_

 _This appalled the princess. Her beloved would give up his humanity for her; a beast?_

 _And so he did._

 _The two reunited with a kiss and the prince sprouted beastly features like her. The princess' curse was undone, and she returned to her natural features. The two embraced each other tightly, then flew up into the sky to find a new home for them both._

 _The princess and the prince lived happily with each other for the rest of eternity."_

Hiro closed the book with a smile and looked down at the head still in his lap. He felt satisfied with the story's beautiful ending, but what did Sakura think? Surely, she should be happy with the direction it took too.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I don't know. I liked it more when I was younger, but now…" Sakura flipped onto her back and looked straight up at him, "...What are your thoughts?"

Her disinterest genuinely surprised Hiro because he believed the story was pleasant. It sounded right up her alley too unless his perception of her was screwed. He was a lot younger back then, so maybe he didn't pay attention to her enough?

"I found the story beautiful. I like how the prince was willing to become like her so they could be the same. You didn't like it?"

"It's not that…" she paused. "The ending is unrealistic. As a monster, nobody will ever look at them as a person. Humans are judgmental and afraid of what they don't understand."

Hiro could feel the mood dampen with the other's pessimism. He acknowledged her words had some truth to them, but he couldn't completely agree with them either. Everyone didn't have the same mindset.

"If I was the prince, I would do the same thing," Hiro commented. "While it's true most people don't like things they don't understand, it doesn't mean everyone sees things in black and white."

"You'll still be with her although she deceived you and ran away without an explanation?" Sakura questioned and stared up at him fixedly.

Hiro nodded his head.

"If I'm really in love with her, it doesn't matter if they hurt me. Things like that are uncontrollable most of the time. What's more important is understanding each other and moving past obstacles together."

Sakura sat up suddenly and still looked him directly in the eyes. Her hands rested on the blanket and held her weight as she leaned forward.

"But she lied to you for her own selfish gain. She practically used you. That's still okay?"

Hiro thought Sakura's constant questions were weird. This conversation took a deep turn when it didn't need to. It was only a children's book, so it wasn't worth any serious debate. However, he could tell this was weighing heavily on Sakura's mind for whatever reason.

Therefore, he'll continue to answer every question she had. Hiro moved the book to the side and placed it on the ground.

"Is it wrong to want to be with someone who makes you happy? She didn't use him with harmful intentions. When it came down to it, the princess chose her lover over her own greed. That's how you know her love was pure. The prince didn't love her for her appearance either, but for her heart. By the end, the thing that came between them no longer mattered."

Sakura fell silent and turned her head to the side which spiked his worries up. Did his answer upset her? This was such a silly conversation to start with.

"Sakura?" he asked, hoping she'd reply to him.

Her lips slowly parted after a few seconds passed.

"...Do you think it's possible for a real person to have their happiness?" she asked and turned her body around until her back faced him. The girl brought her knees to her chest and embraced them like the time he found her on the rooftop.

"Even if she hates herself and is a burden on others… Would anyone still want a mess like that? To be with them no matter what kind of pain they bring on you?" Sakura continued.

Hiro held back the urge to lean over and hug her from behind. It couldn't be any clearer how sore this subject felt to her. This stopped being about the fictional characters in the book from the moment he heard Sakura's first question.

"Yes. Everyone deserves a chance. The princess wasn't a bad person; only human. It wasn't her fault others couldn't accept her as she was. I think she's strong for fighting what she went through all alone. I… I would fall in love with her too."

Sakura's head popped up, and slowly, she turned around to meet his gaze.

"If she left you all alone one day would it really be okay?"

"If we were to separate, I'll go to the ends of the Earth to find her. She's the person I love, so I want to be by her side no matter what," Hiro replied strongly.

He meant every word he said. He wanted… his words to reach her. Hiro swallowed as his heart thumped harshly in his chest. Then, Sakura moved onto all fours and crawled closer to him. She came a bit _too_ , but Hiro didn't mind.

"Even if there's no guarantee she'll return to you?" Sakura asked her final question.

Without a single hesitation, Hiro nodded his head.

"We're each other's wings. Without the other, I can't fly. That's what I believe."

Then, she did something unexpected. A large grin broke out on her face and small laughter could be heard from underneath her breath. This made Hiro's heart sink to his stomach. Sakura didn't take him seriously, did she?

"You say such naïve things all the time," she replied in a hushed voice.

Those words alone gutted his heart, but he tried not to let it show. He was the stupid one for thinking he...

"Sorry, I-"

"But your words always drive me crazy," Sakura interrupted him.

Hiro didn't realize how close their faces were until soft, warm lips crashed onto his own. His world immediately became a hazy blur. His eyes were wide open from pure shock, unable to believe the sensations he felt. A warm electricity surged from his toes and spread throughout his body. He tasted remnants of chocolate and caramel on her tender lips slowly beckoning him to kiss her back.

Hiro's eyes fluttered shut, and he leaned his head in, lips clumsily returning her kiss. He was incredibly nervous and inexperienced which turned the kiss awkward from his end. Yet neither of them really cared because they were too drawn into each other. The burning desire in their hearts obliterated every thought.

They only wanted the other for themselves.

Both of them have fantasized about this exact moment up to this point, but it prepared neither of them for the emotions tied with it. They've never felt more alive and addicted to something nontoxic. Sakura's lips felt so perfect against his that Hiro continued to drink her in. Her strawberry fragrance flooded his senses, but her taste was even stronger.

His hands rested right above her hips and were close to drawing her into him. As much as he loved her warm lips, Hiro greedily wanted to feel a lot more than that. But that's when his subconscious blared from the fogginess of his mind and reminded him this wasn't right for them to do. Guilt built its way up into his heart and caused Hiro to break free from their kiss reluctantly.

Lust was still visible in Sakura's half-lidded eyes, however. She lunged forward to continue what he stopped, but Hiro turned away to avoid her mouth this time. This caused Sakura to freeze up and for her eyes to widen in fear.

Hiro wished he hadn't seen the way her lips trembled before she slowly closed her mouth.

"We… shouldn't do this," he explained lowly.

The thoughtless side of him wished that didn't matter though. Hiro wanted to kiss her even if it was wrong to and to do so for hours and hours. The one moment she confirmed he wasn't alone in his desire for her, he couldn't do anything with this revelation.

This was too cruel.

Sakura could think the same since Hiro's words literally split her heart up into two feeble pieces. Hurt flashed in her eyes before they welled up with tears that didn't break forth. She drew back and hid behind her pink bangs with a weak smile.

"I must disgust you. Forget I ever did that," she responded in a low and shaky tone which broke Hiro's heart as much as her misguided assumption did.

He knew his rejection hurt her. Even though it was involuntary, he still stomped all over her feelings. This felt none different from the turmoil he put her through for all this time. He couldn't even tell Sakura he wanted her too because she wasn't his to have.

"I'm not upset over the kiss. It's because you have a boyfriend, so we can't-"

She rose her head and looked at him with her confused, watery eyes, "What?"

Hiro was taken aback by her confusion. Was she surprised he already knew? He almost forgot he discovered this accidentally.

"The person you have on your phone as 'darling'... I saw it. Sorry, I wasn't snooping. It came up on its own when you allowed me to use your phone."

The truth was out there now. Hiro couldn't bear to look at Sakura's tear-filled eyes. The sight of them tore at his heart, so he looked away from her entirely. Things were silent for a couple seconds as Sakura stared at him in disbelief. The air was so heavy that Hiro felt like his own despair would suffocate him if he stayed here. He needed out.

What finally broke the ice was… loud _laughter?_

Sakura fell over and clutched her stomach as she laughed uncontrollably into the night. He played out a few responses from her inside his head, but this was far from any of them. Hiro's brows creased in confusion. He felt too perplexed to form a sensible thought, so he watched Sakura writhe around with mirth in his dumbfounded state.

Eventually, her ripples of laughter softened into titters until she tired herself out. Once she got her last kicks in, Sakura slowly sat back up with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

"God, you really scared me there…" she said, breathing irregularly from her amusement which knocked all the air out of her lungs. "You…"

The girl paused as she suppressed another laugh trying to resurface.

"You didn't read the messages in that chat, did you?" she questioned but not in an accusing tone.

"No? It didn't feel like my business to, so I... ignored it," Hiro replied slowly, unable to shake the idea he was missing something large here.

Clearly, there was a reason behind the way she reacted. However, he didn't know why and that made his cheeks warm from embarrassment and frustration. Meanwhile, Sakura didn't look hurt or confused anymore, but there was something magnetic about the look in her eyes.

"Hehe. You never fail to impress me..." Sakura moved onto her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck loosely, then leaned in to place her lips near his ear, " _...darling_."

The cogs in Hiro's brain stopped turning.

"Wait."

Her warm breath tickled his ear as she giggled to herself.

"Am I…?" He slowly asked.

Things were connecting quickly, but processing them took its time. Hiro felt Sakura nod her head rapidly in response to his obvious question.

"Oh," he replied stupidly.

Hiro's head was still blank, and he felt like a total idiot. He would've spared himself the heartache had he done something so simple. It was him; he's her darling.

Sakura saw him… as her darling…

His stomach tickled like butterflies were trapped inside him and he could feel his heart in his throat.

"Can I ask why do you, uhm… Have me as 'darling'?" He asked sheepishly.

He wasn't aware that she had this name for him. How long has she been calling him 'darling'?

Sakura pulled back and looked down into his eyes. Since she stood on her knees, she naturally towered over him. This wasn't much different from his perspective when they were on their feet.

"My old man told me that when you find someone very special to you, you make them your darling."

"...I'm special to you?"

"You thought you weren't before?" Sakura's smile dipped into an offended frown, "I don't go around kissing just anyone, you know."

The creamy white skin of Hiro's cheeks burned with a rosy color. He could feel his heart pounding with excitement, "So, no boyfriend?"

"No boyfriend. Only you, darling."

Tears of joy filled Hiro's eyes and escaped in wet trails as his lips formed a shaky smile. He laughed out of relief and happiness before he wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. Hiro buried his face into her warm stomach while he embraced her and stained her shirt with his salty euphoria.

Her slender fingers slid between his messy black locks.

"Is Darling getting-"

But before she could finish teasing him, Hiro pulled Sakura down by the tail of her scarf. His lips connected with hers feverishly and sparks flew everywhere in her body. Her wide eyes fluttered closed and her senses melted into his touch and smell. Hiro rekindled the warmth in her chest, on her lips, and in between her thighs. The tears on his face stuck to her flushed cheeks, but she didn't care.

Sakura got comfortable and straddled Hiro's laps, thighs resting on each side of his hips. Hiro took kindly to the new position and rested his hands on her lower back, uncertain of what else he should do with them. This was his first time being intimate with her and anyone in general. Hiro didn't think he would be the one to take the lead either, so he felt stumped over what to do past this point.

Sakura seemed to pick up on that too since she began to guide him sensually with her perfect lips. Her tempo was slow enough for Hiro to follow and reel him into this new world. She felt so experienced that Hiro doubted this was her first time. Did she have someone special to her before him? It was a sound thought, but it made something bitter rise from his throat.

He didn't want there to be anyone else for her as bad as that sounded. He wanted to be the only one.

Hiro drew her in closer by her back and pressed their bodies together. Even through her shirt, he could feel Sakura's round chest against him which enticed him. Even more so, he could feel her heart beating wildly against his own. Eventually, their lips moved like they were dancing and their passion was their music instead of all the awkward stumbles.

An arm snaked from around his neck until he felt Sakura's warm hand cup his left cheek. They didn't stop there, no. Her soft fingertips slid down and curved underneath Hiro's chin, using only her thumb to pull his jaw open.

"You're learning fast, darling. I think you're ready for the next part."

Hiro's cloudy eyes opened momentarily.

 _The next-_

His turquoises glimmered when Sakura's tongue delved inside his mouth. Hiro's completely stunned and not because of his ignorance, but from the heightening sensation. It doesn't take long for him to close his lids and fall even deeper into her. Once again, Sakura became the leader, and he was a follower drunk in her. Heat ran through their veins and made their blood hot with lust.

Sakura pushed her head even more against Hiro's, sending more than his tongue back. However, he found his motivation to return her passion regardless of his clumsiness. Her lips were already sweet from the different flavored chocolate, but inside her mouth was even better. Hiro has never felt so tied to her than now. Then, she rolled her hips forward slowly. The friction coaxed a moan out of Hiro and sent vibrations straight into Sakura's mouth. His fingers curled around the back of her shirt as his arousal peaked increasingly higher.

He could feel his senses overloading from sinking too deeply into her. It overwhelmed him, so Hiro disconnected their mouths and pulled back to take a breath. He didn't want to move too fast with her but instead cherish this.

"Sakura… I need to tell you something..." Hiro spoke irregularly.

"Hmm? What is it?" she asked slowly with a smirk, fervor still swimming in her sea of emerald.

Hiro could tell Sakura was only half-listening to him and was still being piloted by her lust. She moved her mouth underneath his right eye and licked up the cold, salty tear stain. The contact between her tongue with his face sent a shiver up Hiro's spine.

"Sa-Sakura… You're special to me too, but I… I've always been too afraid to tell you. I thought the last thing you needed on your plate was my feelings for you."

The nature of the subject broke Sakura out of her trance momentarily. She pulled back and looked Hiro straight in the eyes, a soft smile on her face.

"You made me fall in love with you twice. I should be blaming you for that," she replied and shut her lids as she bumped their foreheads together.

"I love you too, Sakura. So much…" Hiro softly whispered after he slid his lids closed as well.

His fingers released her clothes and his arms snaked around her lower back, pulling her into his embrace. For a few seconds, they tuned out the world around them and focused on each other's erratic breaths. Hiro could still feel and hear their heartbeats in sync with one another. This made him feel more connected with Sakura than ever.

They were one.

"Oh, right."

Hiro reopened his eyes and looked directly into hers. He felt as if he could almost get lost of them, "Should I call you something too? I mean, I'm your darling, so I should name you too."

"Like what?" she asked interestedly.

"Uhm…" Hiro thought to himself.

'Sweetie' felt too cliche, sweetheart sounded parental. What resembled Sakura the most? _...Sweets._ Then, he could call her...

"...Honey?" he suggested.

Hiro wasn't confident in that nickname either given he only thought it up on the spot. Needless to say, he deserved the stifled laugh it evoked out of his girlfriend.

"Just Sakura is fine, but if you really want to then I won't mind."

Hiro felt she was only humoring his idea, but he nodded his head, regardless. He'll try to put more thought into it later.

"...Sakura?" he whispered after some comfortable silence. There was little need to raise his voice with their current proximity.

"Yes, darling?" Sakura replied in a smooth and placid tone. She felt at peace right now and Hiro was her long-awaited paradise.

"I meant what I said before. I won't ever leave you alone. Even if we're torn apart, I'll find you, no matter how far."

"Thanks. Me too, darling. I promise you," she reciprocated in a hushed tone.

Their lids closed and their heads tilted to the side, reconnecting their lips like two perfect ends to a puzzle piece. Although, this time the kiss was chaste. When they broke apart, their lips still brushed together.

"...Oh, and one more thing," Sakura added faintly and waited for Hiro to look at her again.

"What's that?"

The corners of her lips curved into a gentle smile, "Happy White Day."

Hiro shared his girlfriend's beautiful smile.

"Happy White Day to you too, Sakura. I'm really happy that I got to spend it with you."

"Oh? You make it sound like the day is already over. We're not finished yet," Sakura commented suggestively.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously and a smirk full of sneaky ideas formed on her face.

"Do you have something else planned?" Hiro asked but could predict what she'll say back.

"Mhm. That's spending the rest of the night kissing you."

He knew it. Hiro grinned at her and laid back onto the blanket, happily pulling Sakura down with him. She towered over him more than before now and it reminded him of the time they were in this position in the hospital. Hiro had the same raging emotions he felt back then, but now he didn't have to restrain those desires.

She was his, and he was hers. They belonged to each other.

"Then, let's not waste the remaining hours we have."

Sakura smiled devilishly before she leaned down and reignited the passion for the nth time that night.


	13. Hiatus

Hi, everyone.

I'm sure you received the e-mail notification for a new chapter, but I'm sorry to disappoint you. This isn't a regular update. From today on, I'll like to announce a temporary hiatus from this work. I've lost most of my drive for this story, but I will not abandon it. I've decided that I'll come back to it at a later time. Knowing myself, it shouldn't be too long since I'll have the itch to write again. However, I don't have the mental capacity to start an entirely new project yet. At the moment, I feel the need to rest.

I've been working on this story for nearly a year now without much of a break. Initially, I didn't want to take time away from it in fear it'll seem like I'm abandoning an incomplete work. However, I've had time to think over it myself. I'm stubborn and determined when it comes to my goals, but I need to be real with myself. This is only an enjoyable hobby of mine and a hobby shouldn't reach the point where I feel sick of what I'm doing. I believe once I've had time to breathe, I can come back to my account with a fresh mind.

This work doesn't have many chapters, but the time I take to make these chapters long and eligible do take a lot out of me. Well, I've rambled on for a bit, so I'll end this here. I'll see you guys next update. Thanks for reading and sticking with my story all this time. Hopefully, there'll be enough people here once I return.


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